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photo by Marcus Frazier
Marcus Frazier | The Natchez Democrat Landscape Resources worker Billy Graves cuts a tree trunk in half with a chainsaw as coworker Randall Johnson stands by with a crane ready to move the massive pieces on Ratcliff Place Wednesday afternoon.
FEMA visits as clean up continues
Published Thursday, September 18, 2008
NATCHEZ — Even though Adams County has not yet been declared a disaster area by the president due to Hurricane Gustav, actions are being taken as though it will.
Two representatives — one from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and one from the Federal Emergency Management Agency — were in town Wednesday and met with city officials.
City Clerk Donnie Holloway said both agencies are coming down and collecting facts and figures because it’s almost certain the county will get the declaration.
“They were pretty adamant that we will be, but they’ve got bigger problems than us right now in Texas and Louisiana so that seems to be the delay at the present time,” Holloway said.
So for now, they gave the necessary tools of information to city officials so cleanup of the estimated 13,000 cubic yards of debris can proceed.
“They were giving us what we can do, what we can’t do,” Holloway said.
Public Works Director Eric Smith said the main point that was issued as far as what the city can’t do is enter private property to clear debris.
“In no way can we go on private property at all,” Smith said.
All debris must be taken from yards and placed on the side of the road, which is a city right-of-way and considered public property. Smith said the representatives also informed officials of the two types of debris — Category A, which is all vegetation and categories C and D, which are construction materials.
Smith said construction materials are defined as sheetrock, shingles or anything torn down because of the storm.
FEMA and MEMA officials also stressed that if a private property owner contracts a company to cut down fallen trees in their yard, the contractor is not allowed to place the subsequent debris on the street for city pick-up.
As far as when the city starts picking up debris, it’s not set in stone yet.
A meeting of the minds will take place this morning between Smith, Holloway, Alderman Mark Fortenbery and City Engineer David Gardner to discuss when to begin, what equipment will be used and other details.
However, Smith said he feels the pick-up will start no later than Tuesday.
Comments
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 17, 2008 at 11:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When the bad storm came through in the late 90,s..april 97 i think. 4 weeks after the storm Red Cross came by Cranfield and asked if we needed any help.No contact for 4 weeks from anyone. I told them the best help they could give us after 4 weeks of no contact was to keep riding. No lights,no help,no Red cross. Natchez will always be the last in line for assistance.
Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 1:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Someone clarify, "side of the road" for me. I see where debris has been piled on the yard and on the road. Which is which? LOL
Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 2:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I THINK the side of the road means beside your mailbox. I say that becasue my water meter is right there as well, so I am assuming that is where the debri should be...am I correct?
Posted by LdyBreez (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Side of the road is curbside. Where you place your garbage recepticals, but not directly in the street, rains can wash dying leaves down the street and clog drainage.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They'll probably wait for another hurricane to blow in and blow the debris into another county so their job will be done.
Posted by eagle (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How will the city know if the tree or trees were cut by a private contractor? I lived on the coast of Alabama during Katrina and they picked-up everything that is if it was separated in the correct piles, i.e. category a,b,c. which was by federal guidelines.
Posted by RobinBrownHayes (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't put it close to the mailbox!!!!! It could cause you to not get mail delivery until it is no longer obstructed.
Posted by rburke1 (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eric got his Categories mixed. In FEMA Disaster assistance the Category is used for the type of work as follows:
Category A - Debris Removal
Category B - Emergency Protective Measures
Category C - Roads and Bridges
Category D - Water Control Facilities
Category E - Buildings and Equipment
Category F - Utilities
Category G - Parks, Recreational, and Other
So, for all practical purposes the city will be performing Category A type work. If a public building is damaged then they might consider the debris cleaned out of it as a Catergory E which would be performed on a seperate project. Just thought I clarify that for the readers.
Posted by donna (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
where is mr stan owens now we are listening to holloway. we will never get a disaster declaration unless it comes from EOC lets not let mr holloway screw this up like he has the police and fire budgets in natchez and now they want more money from the county supervisors you better not give them my $10.00 a year savings
Posted by rburke1 (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
donna,
Mr. Holloway has nothing to do with a disaster declaration. If the county is declared which is based on the peliminary damage assessment ratioed with population is what will trigger that. Apparantly much of that has been performed and waiting on a Presidential Declaration. If Adams Country get declared it soulds like it will only be public assistance and not individual assistance. Once that is done then only governmental agencies and private non-privates may apply for assistance of damaged public facilities. Mr. Holloway would then be only the agent of the applicant, the City of Natchez if he is designated by the Board of Aldermen. Usually with debris cleanup, it is the Public Works Director that becomes the authorized contact. All of this has nothing to do with the City Budget except to reimburse the City of it's losses due to a disaster. Accordingly, Mr. Holloway can not either screw or unscrew a disaster declaration.
Posted by justthefactsman (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Come and get my limbs or they will be a burnin!! If they ain't gone by Satruday there will be smoke in the city!! :)
Posted by hardtimes (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
good grief
Posted by ntzteacher (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I had a pile of sticks by my mailbox and they would not pick them up.... When I put them in my trash cans they took them. Why is that? It was the same amount of sticks in the same exact spot that they were in a pile!
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone in my neighborhood has had sticks and limbs and logs piled up on the streetcurb for quite a while now and I haven't seen the FIRST dump truck or front end loader YET
I haven't made any calls or started complaining YET, but I'm getting sort of impatient
As I"m sure everyone else in the neighborhood is too
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Some people get impatient and push the debris on out in the street, that's not a good idea really
Just the factsman -- I hear you bud, seems like a good idea to me and it would save the city/county a lot of trouble
But anyway - I guess we're depending on Waste Management to pick up the storm's debris? I've been saying a long time that the city's contract with WM needs reviewing. I FIRED them from hauling my trash a long time ago when I realized they were charging me TWICE as much and giving me HALF the service as Diamond Disposal.
I think WM's contract of garbage hauling should be terminated and the county should go back to hauling it's own, then when we had emergencies we'd be able to respond in a timely fashion as the city/county would be geared up with dump trucks and loaders and NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON WASTE MANAGEMENT. It really made me angry the canniving contract that WM tries to swindle people with, the way they hook people into automatic renewal if you don't notify them MONTHS ahead of time, and they way they threaten court action. To me it's a devious way of doing business the way WM does.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on September 18, 2008 at 9:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Man I'm with YOU Krogers! You can't drive around anywhere in the downtown area without seeing mountains and mountains of debris from Gustav! WHEN are they picking this stuff up if EVER? My patience is wearing thin!
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fire FEMA
Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FEMA is a prime example of our US Government at work!!!
More Government, More FEMA's! Hello, wake up America!!!
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More FEMA .Blow the billions,give it away in duffel bags like they do to the contractors in Iraq. Break the country..Wahooo
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