The Town of Munster has more than doubled its budget for cleaning up the debris left from the derecho/tornado combo that hit the town August 11.
At a Monday emergency meeting, the Town Council unanimously approved the total amount of money to be spent on cleanup to $4.5 million, up from the $1.25 million it approved at an August 20 meeting. At that meeting, the council voted to allow Council President Joe Hofferth, R-2, to approve emergency contracts of up to $1 million with Columbia, Mississippi-based disaster recovery firm Looks Great Services for hauling and up to $250,000 with debris-haul monitoring firm company DebrisTech out of Picayune, Mississippi, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
Additionally, the council approved a contract with a public assistance firm that “acts as a disaster management consultant and helps storm-damaged communities work through the administrative compliance requirements laid out by FEMA,” Hofferth said. That contract isn’t to exceed $50,000. The town expects the federal government to reimburse 75% of eligible costs.
Hofferth at the Monday meeting said that “real progress is being made every day” with regard to the cleanup.
“On the debris removal front, I’m glad to report that we have removed 86,500 cubic yards of debris so far,” he said. “Our projected total approaches 300,000 cubic yards, so debris hauling continues seven days a week, rain or shine, 12 hours a day, and we have monitoring services on site to make sure that recording (the removal) stays accurate and fair.
“Once our debris is cleared, we will move on to removing tree stumps from the town-owned property and parkways, and then to restoring our parks. Beyond that, our next steps include a full inventory of storm-related damages, including sidewalks, signs, lights, and park and parkway rehabilitation.”
In a Tuesday update on the town’s Facebook page, it announced that 99,700 cubic yards of storm debris has been removed as of Sept. 1, which doesn’t include debris removed by the town’s Public Works Department between August 11 and 21. Much of the debris is being dropped off at Stewart Park before it is broken down for transport.
The town on its website said it “cannot provide a timeline or expected completion date at this time due to the extent of the damage being unprecedented and time to remove debris varies on the size of the pile, if it is mixed with household garbage or other items they cannot take, having access to the debris, and many other factors.” It asks residents to continue to bring their debris to the curb, where haulers will make several passes in each “zone” the town has designated.
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The town, through Looks Great, will remove trees and debris from the parkway and all public spaces, Munster Fire Chief Mark Hajduk previously said; resident-owned trees that fall on private property, however, are residents’ responsibility, the Post-Tribune previously reported. If a privately owned tree falls on public property, the town will remove it.
Residents can report tree damage by emailing [email protected] with photos. But the town said there is a significant backlog of requests for tree removal or reviews.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.