Yes, that debris at the side of the road is just about growing roots. But the city of Palm Coast says is 60 percent complete with its first pass through residential neighborhoods to collect debris from Hurricane Irma, as of Friday. But it’s not yet clear when the second pass will be announced.
The city has been working and says it will continue to work seven days a week to collect debris. The city estimates that over 16,000 cubic yards of debris have been picked up so far. Due to limited resources available because of this year’s active hurricane season, the cleanup is taking longer than previous cleanups. But that’s also because with Irma, the city did not contract with a different hauler as it did after Hurricane Matthew. Waste Pro, the city’s regular trash hauler, and city crews are cleaning up for Irma.
Now that resources are being freed up from other areas, more trucks and crews will be working to accelerate cleanup this weekend and in the coming weeks.
Debris cleanup is a priority for the city, but cleanup is expected to take several more weeks, and city officials are asking residents to continue to be patient.
The first pass of debris pickup is complete in the following sections of the City: C, K, L, LL, S, U, and Z. The first pass is approximately 75 percent complete in the B, F, P, and W sections, and the Woodlands neighborhood.
The city’s hauler, Waste Pro, and city crews will be working to finish those sections and will have a major presence in the remaining sections (E and R) starting this weekend. A map of the previous day’s progress is being released on the city’s website each weekday afternoon to keep residents informed.
In some cases, only a section of the street has been picked up. Crews will be returning to pick up the remainder of the street’s debris.
At a later date, the city will announce when the second and final pass for both vegetative and construction and demolition debris will occur.
To expedite debris removal the city asks residents to help by separating everything at the curb into the following categories:
Vegetative Debris: leaves, logs, plants, tree branches, etc.
Construction and Demolition Debris: building materials, asphalt shingles, drywall, lumber, metal, plastics, etc.
Normal Household Trash: Normal household trash and bagged debris of any kind is being picked up by Waste Pro following your normal garbage and yard trash schedule.
If, after large piles of vegetative debris are picked up, smaller debris is left behind, the city asks residents to bag the smaller debris for collection to accelerate cleanup. Remember, different debris collection trucks are designed to pick up different types of debris. One truck may pick up large logs, but a different truck would pick up smaller branches. Don’t worry if a truck passes your pile and doesn’t stop to pick it up. Another truck will come – maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.
Debris should be placed on your property near the curb – not on the street, not in your swale, not on your neighbor’s property. Residents who are having damaged trees removed or trimmed by a tree contractor should be sure the contractor is removing the debris as part of the job. Commercial businesses, apartments, townhomes, and condominiums are responsible for their own debris cleanup and hauling. Hurricane debris will not be picked up by Waste Pro. Businesses and multi-family residential developments should not place debris at the curb.
The city is tracking its debris-collection costs in order to be reimbursed by FEMA, though as of today the city (or the county) have yet to be reimbursed for Hurricane Matthew costs.
Any questions about Palm Coast city services – garbage and debris collection, water and sewer, streets, drainage – should be directed to Customer Service at 386-986-2360. For more information, contact Jason Giraulo, Digital Communications Coordinator, at 386-986-2484 or [email protected].
ASF says
Spoke to a relative in Sarasota yesterday. They are not expecting to be through with their pick-up/debris problems until Christmas. It’s been a challenging couple of years.
Buck Troesch says
Someone is blowing smoke. Drivng around neighborhoods in the sputh and southwest parts of PC hurricane debris is solid brown and aging. If pick up isbeing done must in the mayor, city manager and council members neghborhoods.
tulip says
Well a lot of the W section hasn’t been touched at all and Wastepro hasn’t been very good at picking up the yard waste barrels and bags either. I’ve also noticed in driving around that freshly cut trees and brush have been added to the dead hurricane brush. However, I look at the condition of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and my complaint turns petty quickly.
still waiting says
are they ever going to pick up on Fleetwood Dr. The entire street is still waiting and all the dry branches are a fire hazard.
L Section? says
The article states that the L section is completed, however, I’ve had debris in my front yard since 2 days after the storm. I had several fence panels ruined so we brought them to the front just like a previous press released stated to do. I’m wondering why this wasn’t picked up?
JOHN DOLAN says
The City has high standards when it comes to code enforcement. I have been slammed with a VIOLATION NOTICE on my garage door for not having a privacy fence around my ac unit. Unfortunately the city has much lower standards when it comes to fulfilling their 2 MAJOR PRIORITIES. Garbage and Waste pick up and Clean Water.(Sewage spilling out from manholes) Palm Coast has failed on both of these priorities. This a standard BELOW what I am will to accept. And as for FPL, thats another story.
Paul says
Good to know where the E and R residents rate with the city. I guess our tax bills will reflect this.
Jasck says
They must have all resources out there picking up debris, since we didn’t get recycling pickup last week.
r&r says
The city asks for patience but when most of us who were paying our Utility bill through the auto system were threatened of being turned off when the city moved into the new city hall and was having computor problems.
palmcoaster says
Understandable the delay!! We, the city has not being reimbursed by the expenses with debris pick up from Mathew…if so then our debris funds pick up are tight and city is trying to do the work with its crews and Waste Pro which I suspect is much less expensive than paying outside contractors. I do not believe the owed Fema funds for Mathew or Irma will ever materialize honestly with the current Feds…so we will have to be patient and take our debris outside over time in smaller piles like others and myself did…other than all at once and much worse seating of the public road instead in the curve posing a danger to pedestrians and traffic.
Anonymous says
60% of Palm Coast? And 75% of B section? Are you kidding me? I’m in the B section and all I see is pile after pile everywhere I turn. I’m being very patient but am very sick of seeing the debris. The weeds and grass are growing up and through the junk and it is just ugly. Sad that this city is not doing a better job with cleanup.
Robjr says
Hold on here.
Right after the hurricane, we didn’t see Waste Pro for normal pick because of the hurricane. Bagged yard waste, not limbs and brush piles, was not picked up. In fact, they did not even drive down the street.
The next week I had my regular trash and my bagged yard waste from the previous week neatly placed. They drove down the street and right by my home. I had to drive after them to hand them my regular trash.
It took at least three weeks to see regular trash pickup on its scheduled days.
Bagged yard waste on Wednesdays was out of the question. No truck would appear.
The only steady truck that appeared on Wednesday was the can, plastic or household re-cycle truck.
This went on from the date of the hurricane until last week.
I telephoned City of Palm Coast customer service and the lady blind transferred me to Waste Pro, and that was wasted time. Waste Pro said we will send out a supervisor to my address. I am still waiting for that supervisor to show up. LOL.
So we are billed for full trash pickup service during the month of September and October. That is our utility bill, the trash pickup portion, yours and mine, is for full service the entire month. Partial or no service should mean partial or no payment for services not rendered. The city will give up the excuse that they cannot track it and does not give credits for missed service. Do you think that Waste Pro was paid in full for services they did not provide? If they were not paid in full, where did the money go that we paid on our monthly utility bill?
gmath55 says
What I don’t understand is some people have empty lots next to them or behind them. Can’t they put the waste debris in the empty lot? I have a empty lot behind me and next to me and that is where I put the debris. The land behind me belongs to FPL where they run their lines.
Shortsterfl says
You mean 60% left to pick up. I’ve yet to go through a neighborhood that has been picked up. I can only imagine the “critters” that will come out of the piles of debris. And I can’t wait to see the mess left behind when they do pick up, because whatever doesn’t get picked up by the claw will be left behind. And since the debris has had ample opportunity to decay, there will be a lot left to be futher clean up by residence.
blondee says
@gmath55 you’re creating a fire hazard with all that dead vegetation