Sarasota City Commission gets update on removal of debris from city roadways
Over the past 30 days, Sarasota County’s storm debris contractors have collected more than 1 million cubic yards of materials from the unincorporated areas of the county, staff announced on the afternoon of Nov. 13.
More than 300 contractors from around the country continue to work daily to help collect storm debris from both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, a news release notes.
The contractors are “working seven days a week,” Wendi Crisp, who handles community outreach for the Sarasota County Solid Waste Department, said in a county-produced video. “There are trucks of all sizes out there.”
“Substantial debris removal has been completed on Manasota Key south of Blind Pass,” the release also points out. Contractors will be making the final pass for collections in that area on Monday, Nov. 18, the release adds.
Residences located north of Blind Pass will receive a separate notice “in the near future” regarding their final pass, the release says.
In the county video, Crisp also noted, “We are working in all zones at this time.”
An interactive county map allows a resident to enter the address of a home to learn when the storm debris collection will begin in the zone where the house is located.
To help facilitate the final debris collections, the Nov. 13 news release says, “all qualified hurricane related debris,” including vegetative, construction and demolition materials and household goods, “must be placed curbside by midnight on Sunday, Nov. 17.”
Further, the release reminds residents that storm debris materials should be placed within 3 feet of the right of way, “when possible.” It adds, “Do not stack or lean materials near mailboxes, fences, trees, utility poles or other structures including fire hydrants, water meters or backflow preventors and do not place [debris] on sidewalks.”
In related information, during a report to the Sarasota City Commission near the end of its regular meeting on Nov. 4, Deputy City Manager Patrick Robinson said that, as of Nov. 3, city crews and contractors had removed 221,809 tons of debris from the city’s roadways. The cleanup effort was approximately 35% to 40% complete as of that time, he added.
Referencing a remark that he had made during the Nov. 2 meeting of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations of Sarasota (CCNA), Robinson reminded the commissioners that the city has 330 miles of paved roads.
“I would say that 300 miles of that has debris on it at this time. We’re doing the best we can,” Robinson continued, with 30 to 40 contractors working seven days a week, “depending on the day and the weather and weekends, “picking up this stuff to get us back to normal.”