Kewanee City Clerk Kasey Mitchell issued an update of how the city will handle the many piles of brush that resulted from the July 15 tornadoes.
“Many residents have been asking how the city is going to handle the large piles of brush that remain from the storm on July 15,” Mitchell wrote. “We know residents are anxious to have piles removed from their property and we understand. However, we cannot neglect our normal duties such as trash and recycling pickup and street maintenance, especially with the holiday and Hog Days weekend quickly approaching.
“We have worked alongside the Henry County Office of Emergency Management and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) as part of a statewide application for federal disaster relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),” Mitchell wrote.
She wrote that the application includes a request for funding to cover the cost of storm debris removal, which is expected to be about $400,000. The information submitted is being reviewed as state and federal officials survey each affected county to verify damage assessments to determine whether or not the state suffered enough damage to meet the thresholds for federal assistance to be provided.
“We hope to have word of that determination in mid-August,” Mitchell wrote. “Should that funding be approved, the city will be able to hire contractors to complete the work in a timely and efficient manner without negatively impacting municipal operations.”
“If we do not receive the funds,” she wrote, “the plan for removal changes significantly. Once the trash and recycling collection have transitioned to Lakeshore Recycling Services and Hog Days is behind us, we’ll have more manpower available to address some of the challenges that face us. Then we can more easily incorporate debris removal into our workload, but it will take a consistent effort for an extended period of time, because we need more time spent filling potholes before winter, the water and sewer systems require significant maintenance year- round, and then winter will be here before you know it.”
“It is critically important,” Mitchell continued, “that we fill potholes before inclement weather hits. Failure to do so will only make the roads worse and drive up the costs of repairs.”
She added, “It was great to see so many neighbors helping neighbors after the storms. It was great to see businesses step up to support each other, those that were involved in storm recovery, and the community in general. Particularly noteworthy, at least in our book, is OSF Hospital through their use of the former Kewanee Hospital site as a debris collection site.”
“We are grateful for those that have been able to take brush to the old hospital site for themselves and others,” Mitchell wrote. “It will save us (which is you as taxpayers) a lot of time and money whether federal funding is provided or not.”
Mitchell said that once the city has heard from FEMA, officials will put out additional information regarding storm debris removal, the specific approach, what residents and businesses can do to help in the implementation of those efforts, and to establish clear expectations.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we navigate through this process,” Mitchell concluded.
