Department of Public Works director Jim Murray (second from left), talks about getting bulk items off residential curbs and staging them at the DPW yard on Greenfield, so waste haulers don’t lose an hour while commuting to the landfill, while Property Maintenance and Development Services Director Tim Hawkins (left), City Clerk George Darany and City Council members Leslie Herrick, Robert Abraham, Michael Sareini, and Council President Susan Dabaja listen.
$1.8 million now available for recovery efforts
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – The City Council increased its flood response funding by $1.3 million, bringing its total allocation to $1.8 million at a June 29 special meeting.
As more households reported basement flooding, city officials quickly realized that Green For Life Environmental, the city’s waste disposal contractor, would not be able to remove all of the flood-damage debris from curbsides, and addressed the need to employ additional assets to remove debris from flooded basements piled curbside as quickly as possible.
The Department of Public Works yard has established a transfer station, so trash haulers don’t lose an hour or more driving to a landfill with each full load.
City officials spoke of trying to match volunteers with residents needing help removing waterlogged items from their basements, while others wondered if the national guard could be deployed to help.
Department of Public Works Director Jim Murray said they have determined that GFL’s bulk loading is a “painfully slow” process, and said the bulk furniture pickup presents a choke point, and will need to be handled separate from the typical trash pickup.
City Councilman Robert Abraham urged residents to segregate hazardous waste, such as paint cans, and to not put them at the curb, which could contaminate the waste stream.
Murray said employees were mapping flood damaged houses as they continue to collect data, assessing neighborhoods street by street.
“I don’t want to give false hope, or misrepresent what we are doing,” he said. “We are concentrating on the worst parts of town.”
As a massive amount of trash begins to find its way into landfills, City Council President Susan Dabaja noted that $35,000 to $50,000 of the flood response money would be allocated to cover landfill costs.
Murray said approaching Wayne County officials with the city’s assessment is the next step needed to get additional help from the state and federal government, and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Murray thanked the hard working employees and volunteers.
“It’s hotter than heck out – don’t get heatstroke,” he said. “It’s a very difficult operation.”
Dabaja called for an independent investigation to determine what steps could be taken to alleviate future flooding, as heavy rain events become more common in the region.
Murray said when east Dearborn’s sewer system was built, prior to World War II, it was up to standard for the era; however, what it was designed to accommodate – 3 inches of rain in a 24-hour period – cannot accommodate every rain event.
It was noted that engineering and installing a solution to capture rainfall like that experienced June 26, which was more than 7.8 inches, could have a starting price tag of $500 million.
Residents impacted by flood damage were urged to fill out a damage description form on the city’s website to help the city supply accurate data when it applies for federal and FEMA funding.