FERRIDAY, La. – If the number of complaints received from constituents are any indication, trash pickup in Ferriday has improved in recent weeks, said Ferriday Town Council members.

At the council’s Aug. 8 meeting, some council members said they had received complaints about trash — debris, not household garbage — piling up in some areas.

One reason, said Mayor Glen McGlothin, is that one of the town’s own trucks was broken down for several months.

But the day before, McGlothin had met with John Bunning, owner of garbage and trash collection company Diamond Disposal, about such problems. That same week, piles of trash throughout town were picked up by Diamond trucks.

Since then, &uot;I haven’t gotten complaints,&uot; said Councilman Jerome Harris, who was vocal about the problems during the Aug. 8 meeting. &uot;There are not too many piles of debris sitting out any more.&uot;

Councilwoman Dorothy Johnson also said she has not received any more complaints since that meeting, a fact she attributes to communication with residents and between Diamond and town officials.

&uot;I think people found out where to put (the trash) — out by the street and not in the alleys, where Diamond’s trucks can’t get to it,&uot;&160;Johnson said.

&uot;Also, the city itself does a cleanup once a week, going through the alleyways. The town and Diamond got together and working out a system. And the town is much cleaner.&uot;

Councilmen Sammy Davis Jr. and Billy Rucker both said they still get a few complaints about trash service, although not as many as in the past.

&uot;I still get some complaints about missed pickups, but when I call John Bunning about it, it gets corrected,&uot; Rucker said.

But Harris added that, at least in part, the lower number of complaints could be due to the season. &uot;This time of year, no one’s putting out much debris,&uot; he said.

For his part, Rucker would like to see the town distribute flyers with pickup dates to better educate the public on when to put out garbage and trash.

&uot;Communication is the key,&uot; Rucker said.

Neither Bunning nor Councilman Mitch Ashmore could be reached for comment.