The St. Landry Parish Council decided Wednesday night that it doesn't yet have a sense of the public's wishes and opted for public hearings on two issues -- burying more out-of-parish waste in the landfill and creating a parish-wide district to get serious road improvements under way. The Solid Waste Commission asked the council for expression of interest, or disinterest, in the garbage issue.

Under law, funds generated from any outside dumping must go to road work and the Solid Waste panel does not have any roads, therefore it's a parish-cities matter.

Some council members seemed to think it a slam-dunk; others pondered the long-term environmental impact of increasing the waste stream.

Eventually the council decided to invite the public to express opinions before responding to the landfill question.

Parish President Don Menard reviewed his proposed 10-year, 10-mill property tax plan to jumpstart road improvements.

Council members, again, went back and forth over the matter.

Eventually, instead of calling an election or rejecting such a call, the council opted to ask the public how it feels about having an election.

Both public hearings will be properly scheduled and advertised.