Irma debris pickup taking too long? County says these moves should help

There may be light at the end of the Hurricane Irma debris tunnel.

Manatee County commissioners voted in favor of three motions Thursday to help the Utilities Department speed up the process of cleaning up the streets of limbs and leaves that were downed by the hurricane last month.

Utilities director Mike Gore spoke for three asks: permission to pick up along private roads; to use Solid Waste funds to pay weekly pickup contractors to catch up on yard debris; and a three-weekend waiver of tipping fees at the landfill.

Gore estimated there is between 150,000 cubic yards and 300,000 cubic yards of vegetative waste sitting along private roads

“I don’t want to move out of those zones and backtrack through it,” Gore said.

By the end of the day Thursday, Gore said the department had 27 trucks capable of loading 140 cubic yards at their disposal.

The city of Bradenton also announced Thursday that it has started collection of its residents’ yard and construction debris.

Charles Smith, a county commissioner, said the collection of debris along public roads is a higher priority than debris along private roads.

“My concern is my community has not seen a truck yet,” Smith said.

Commissioners voted in favor of private roads being picked up wherever trucks are cleaning up nearby public roads, with Smith dissenting.

Weekly yard waste pickup was already behind before the hurricane hit, Gore said. Residents saw the destruction Hurricane Harvey brought Texas, and started to cut limbs ahead of Irma. Waste Management asked for the landfill to be open for one weekend for only yard debris dumping, and Waste Pro needed three weekends.

This is separate from hurricane debris hauling — AshBritt is the debris contractor and SCS Engineering monitors for Irma waste for FEMA documentation purposes. For this, Gore previously has said that hurricane debris cleanup will cost about $27 million, a portion of which officials hope to be reimbursed by the federal agency.

Gore estimated this extra hauling to cost $500,000, which would come from the Solid Waste fund.

Commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac noted that she had seen people taking their Irma debris and bundling it up as if it were normal yard waste. Gore said that could negatively affect utility rates.

Regular weekly yard waste must be bundled and bagged appropriately.

The motion passed, with Smith again dissenting.

Manatee County residents will also have the opportunity to bring their Irma yard debris to the Lena Road Landfill for three weekends starting Oct. 14 without paying any tipping fees.

Gore didn’t have a price tag on this action, but that it would be “another cost the Solid Waste fund would eat.”

The Irma-related yard debris collected at the landfill will be burned, but residents will be asked to dump the waste into a pile as plastic bags cannot be burned.

This final motion was passed unanimously.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, commissioners:

▪ Approved the general development plan for Ellenton Commerce Park, which will be on the north side of U.S. 301 and west of Interstate 75. The vote was 5-2, with Commissioners Priscilla Whisenant Trace and Charles Smith dissenting, citing traffic concerns on 51st Avenue East.

▪ Approved a 799 single-family home development called Silverstone that is located south of 69th Street East and west of Interstate 75. The vote was 5-2, with Commissioners Priscilla Whisenant Trace and Charles Smith dissenting, citing flooding concerns into nearby Rubonia Cemetery.

▪ Approved single- and multi-family development called Parrish Lakes that touts retail space and affordable housing. the vote was 6-1, with Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace dissenting. Commissioners also voted to look into nearby surplus land made available by the School District of Manatee County to serve as possible stormwater drainage.

▪ Approved a comprehensive plan amendment that will delete a planned thoroughfare on Clubhouse Drive to keep 44 acres of wetlands intact, as fought for by Friends of Keep Woods and Conservation Foundation. The vote was 5-2, with Chairwoman Betsy Benac and Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace dissenting.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Irma debris pickup taking too long? County says these moves should help."