Bradenton secures contractor, resumes debris pick-up

If you live in Bradenton, there’s probably still debris in your yard in the wake of Hurricane Irma, but the city finally has pinned down contractors to get it.

On Thursday morning the city announced that contractors have begun to collect vegetation and construction material debris.

Residents are asked to create separate piles for each type of debris and to pile it in the right-of-way area of the street, not in the way of travel. City of Bradenton Solid Waste trucks also will assist in the collection process.

Contractors will pass through the city twice, with the second run beginning at a later date. The contractor had 10 trucks in the city as of Wednesday “with more coming.”

City officials shared residents’ frustrations after a delay in selecting a contractor to aid in debris removal. As of Wednesday, only an estimated 7,000 cubic yards of an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 cubic yards had been picked up, according to Bradenton Public Works Director Jim McLellan.

McLellan said the contractor works 12 hours a day, seven days a week and is laying out priority areas that include routes children take when walking to school and areas heavily affected by the storm.

The Manatee County utilities department also is working to create a map detailing which areas have had their debris collected. It should be available to the public next week, according to Amy Pilson, the department’s public affairs liaison.

Bradenton resumed its weekly yard debris collection Tuesday. Crews will follow normal routes and collect materials that have been bagged or barreled.

The city points out that the routes will take longer than usual to complete due to high volume. However, officials ask residents taking advantage of this service to not place their bags in the street or sidewalk.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Bradenton secures contractor, resumes debris pick-up."