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Storm Debris Could Remain For A Long Time

    While The Florida Department of Transportation has been active in North Lake County cleaning up debris from Hurricane Milton along its right of ways, overall pickup has been slow to begin.  That could change in the coming days. Even as local governments struggle to find contractors to undertake the work.
    Debris pickup has been a growing point of discussion in the community, as days have turned into weeks with little progress.  While FDOT was working state highways shortly after the storm and on Monday said it will resume debris pickup on November 4, there have been few visual signs of progress elsewhere. 
    On Monday, Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione, whose district includes much of North Lake County, provided an update.
    “The contractor that the county retained to pick up storm debris under FEMA guidelines is taking too long to get debris picked up, so the county commission authorized the county manager to purchase a grapple truck and the truck is being picked up today.”
    Campione said the flood-ravaged community of Astor is at the top of the list of communities to receive debris pickup.
    “Our goal is to have county personnel in Astor by Friday picking up storm debris with the new truck,” Campione said, adding that the truck could be there sooner, or later, should an unforeseen problem crop up.
    In Umatilla, where the city has a standing contract with Lake County to handle hurricane debris pickup, the wait was too long, and public works staff has begun working to remove what it can from area streets.
    “We’ve started,” said city manager Scott Blankenship.  “As best as four guys can do it.”
    Blankenship said he had been told by officials that it could be months before county contractors get on the ground here in any large number, so the city attempted to find a workaround given its limitations as a smaller municipality.
    “I started last week trying to find people to help,” he said, after the county reportedly said it would allow a city contractor to attach to the county’s existing contractor agreement, should the city be able to find anyone willing to take on the project.
    As of Monday, at least one firm had stepped up to the plate, and Blankenship said he hopes to have them on the job in the coming days.  Even though they will be part of the county contract, they will be working locally.
    “They are going to work exclusively in the city limits of Umatilla,” Blankenship said.
    The impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton on a broad swath of the southeastern United States have left governments all over attempting to find whatever labor they can to assist, and while that search is difficult, something had to be done, said Blankenship.
    “We’ve got to get it off the ground,” he said of the debris.  “But it is slow going.”
    In Umatilla, larger items, like big tree trunks and limbs, will have to wait until the city can procure equipment appropriate for such work.  Blankenship said another Lake County municipality has offered to share a truck with a clamp-style boom, after that city is done cleaning up in the future.
    City debris won’t be taken to the county’s receiving location at the North Lake Regional Park, but rather to city property off Beasley Road.
    The City of Eustis is also participating in its own debris removal program, working with Waste Management in the process.  Waste Management is picking up smaller, bundled and bagged debris, with city employees taking on larger debris.