St. George launching public works request system

ST. GEORGE, La. (WAFB) - The City of St. George is launching its own public works request system.

According to officials, the city will assume independent responsibility for public works services on Saturday, Nov. 1.

This system will replace how residents request help with issues like potholes, roadside grass cutting, and ditch cleanouts.

The city has been using East Baton Rouge Parish’s 311 system for residents to report issues while city officials worked to transition to the independent system.

While using that system, calls were rerouted to St. George to pay contractors, including EBR in some cases, to resolve.

According to officials, East Baton Rouge Parish will continue managing drinking water, sewage, recycling, animal control, traffic signal repairs, and trash services while St. George will now handle roads, drainage, and general maintenance.

Who to contact?

City of St. George

• Potholes or street issues, including signage, signals, and striping
• Roadside or drainage grass cutting
• Drainage ditch or culvert cleanouts
• Sinkhole repairs
• Debris or junk piles
• Dead or overgrown trees in a right-of-way that pose a safety concern
• Tree canopy trimming

East Baton Rouge Parish

• Drinking water
• Sewage
• Recycling
• Animal control
• Traffic signal repairs
• Trash

On Nov. 1, residents can start submitting work requests for the City of St. George on their website or by calling 225-312-0476.

For issues that will continue to be maintained by East Baton Rouge Parish, residents can still call 311 or visit their website.

Backlog

The City of St. George reports that residents made over 2,400 public works requests through EBR’s system, some of which date back several months and, in some cases, several years.

While many of these requests have been completed, Mayor Dustin Yates confirmed the city is taking on a substantial backlog of work.

“We know there’s a lot of work to be done,” Yates said. “We’re going to focus our resources where they can make the biggest difference first as we scale our capacities to meet the demand.”

City officials ask that residents be patient.

“We’re asking residents for patience as we continue to build the kind of city government they deserve,” Mayor Yates said. “This process takes time, but we’re committed to doing it the right way with transparency, efficiency, and long-term results. Each improvement brings us closer to the level of service our citizens expect.”

As St. George moves forward, the city will reportedly combine city staff and contractors in the area to build its own public works team.

Officials say this will deliver more responsive, high-quality services that residents expect and deserve.

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