‘Town Hall’ on heavy haulers deemed ‘good start’

Approximately 50 people attended a “Town Hall” meeting to discuss the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury’s efforts to develop and adopt an ordinance to control heavy haulers use of parish roads.

Most in attendance agreed with jurors that something should be done to protect parish roads from being torn up or crushed by heavy trucks and equipment.

Police Jury Vice President Kirby Roy called the meeting “a good start” to finding a solution to the parish’s problem with heavy haulers damaging parish roads.

There were marked disagreements with some aspects of a preliminary draft ordinance.

Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen, who lives in nearby Poland, asked that the parish not impose bonding requirements on heavy haulers. He said the LFA is addressing the issue of heavy trucks damaging vulnerable roads in the 60 Louisiana parishes with logging activity.

“We are concerned about the roads,” Vandersteen said. “We want to be responsible in conducting our business. We are looking for cooperation and collaboration in working with the Police Jury.”

RAISES RED FLAG

Vandersteen said requiring a bond be posted by a logger or other heavy hauler raises a red flag for insurance companies, who will then raise insurance rates on the property owner -- even if the loggers hauling the landowner’s timber never have to forfeit a bond.

“The LFA has been successful in working with local governments to resolve these issues,” he added.

Vandersteen said the LFA has a strong “self-policing” system in place to ensure loggers behave responsibly and remedy any problems caused by their activity.

“The mills that receive the logs will not buy from loggers causing problems on parish roads,” Vandersteen said. “I encourage you not to require bonds.”

Police Jury President Charles Jones said the parish wants to work with all of the heavy haulers.

“We want your industry to be productive,” he said, adding that the jury also has an obligation to protect its roads for the public’s use.

Juror Henry Moreau told the audience the proposed ordinance is not a scheme for the parish to obtain more money.

“We just want to try to take care of our roads,” Moreau said.

He noted that if Parish Civil Works Director Kevin Bordelon is aware of a company’s intent to haul on a “soft” road that cannot withstand the load, “he can tell the hauler and work out a route to go around that road rather than tear it up.”

Jones said the Police Jury has discussed a road permit program in the past, but it was always set aside.

“We have had considerable expense repairing damage caused by heavy trucks,” Jones said. “We have also had some timber haulers who have voluntarily donated money to help us with our roads.”

Jones said jurors believe it would be best to develop a policy that would address the problems as seen from the Police Jury’s perspective and from the users’ point of view.

“We do not want to adopt a document that causes confusion or harms your industry,” Jones told the audience. “We are at the front end of putting something together.”

Jones then asked that a “working group” representing timber, concrete, dirt, gravel, oil and farming haulers be formed to look into more specifics for a “second draft” of the ordinance.

Bordelon said the parish’s top priority is “to know where the commercial operations are in the parish. We want to know what is going on in the parish.”

Vandersteen said he would favor a permit system in which the hauler calls in to report where he will be hauling. The civil works director will come out and look at the road to be used, not if there is any damage, and issue a permit that must be kept in the truck in the event a parish official stops him and asks to see the permit.
“Some parishes do not charge for this permit,” Vandersteen said. “Others may charge $200 or $300.”
He said some parishes have implemented a fine schedule for operating without a parish permit.
Points of contention
Besides Vandersteen’s “no bonds” request, two other main points of contention were raised during the hour-long meeting.
One was over two “exemptions” from the permit requirement -- one for garbage trucks under contract with the parish and other for agricultural equipment.
It was pointed out that logging is classified as an agricultural activity and that trees are Louisiana’s No. 1 crop. A logger noted that, technically, an exemption for a soybean farmer’s load of beans would also apply to the logger’s load of logs.
It was said several times by different speakers that the Waste Connection garbage trucks are the heaviest and most road-destructive vehicles on the parish roads. The garbage company is also using its trucks as part of its commercial activity.
That being the case, the haulers argued it is unfair for one commercial entity to be exempt from an ordinance that would require other commercial haulers to purchase a permit and possibly subject it to posting a bond and paying for road repairs.
Jones said the speakers made valid points that the “working group” will need to seriously consider.
The other point of concern was over how the parish will be able to determine which hauler caused road damage if there are two or three haulers -- including the garbage truck -- traveling on the same road.
Another issue discussed was the need for two different types of permits.
Company’s that operate year-round delivering cargo or working throughout the parish would need an annual permit.
Loggers and other short-term commercial operators would need a special use permit that would cover only that period where they would be working in a particular area. Jones called it a “60-day” permit.
In addition, a large construction project requiring concrete and dirt hauling and heavy cargo and equipment for several months could require a special permit to take into account the wear and tear on the roads leading to the project for that period of construction.