Dearborn City Councilman Michael Sareini (shown fifth from left at an Aug. 10 mayoral briefing) has called for an extension of free bulk pickup of flood damaged debris by the city, including drywall being replaced, through the end of September. Also shown are City Attorney Debra Walling (left); Kim Cross, president of the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit; Chief of Staff Mark Guido; Police Cpl. Ibrahim Dabaja; and Councilman Robert Abraham.
Drywall replacement debris would be included
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – City Councilman Michael Sareini asked council members to meet in special session before the Sept. 14 council meeting to extend free bulk pickup of flood-related debris, including drywall.
Sareini proposed that the city provide free pickup of bulk items related to flooding through the end of September. Free bulk pickups were scheduled to run through mid-August, with the exception of residences still being cleaned out by volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse, a disaster relief organization.
Sareini said reconstruction debris needs to be included, in addition to the flood damaged items picked up earlier, and asked City Attorney Debra Walling to draft a proposal.
He said that some residents have experienced additional flooding since the June 26 rain event, and that some residents on Kendal Street and Yinger Avenue have experienced two additional flood events since the June 26 rainfall.
In an email chain, on Sept. 1, Councilman Robert Abraham agreed that flood-related debris pickup should continue at no-cost to residents, and called for a written recommendation from the city’s Property Maintenance and Development Services.
In the same email chain, on Sept. 1, Chief of Staff Mark Guido said recent paid bulk pickups within the city did not consist of flood-related debris. He also said that approximately 34 houses were impacted by the most recent rain-event flooding, for which a targeted pickup program can be provided, at no charge, and he will know if additional budget is needed to cover those pickup costs once the city has a better estimate of the volume of debris.
Guido called for Tim Hawkins, director of Property Maintenance and Development, to become involved with houses from which drywall impacted by flooding had not yet been removed, to assess mold growth and structural stability, as well as address habitability concerns and the potential for dangerous conditions to develop.
Guido said in a Sept. 2 email thread that the city could ask the council for additional flood-related reconstruction funding, if needed, and will provided an estimated budget for proposed contracting services in the next week.