Information regarding hurricane debris removal
Charlotte County Public Works contractors are out in force removing vegetative storm debris. It is the home and business owner’s responsibility to bring the debris to the curb and to properly separate it.
For this post-storm pickup, do not put vegetative debris in bags, because it will not be picked up.
Debris that is not properly separated will not be picked up. Residents should separate disaster debris into the six categories below and place piles in the public right-of-way, off the road and not on private property:
Construction and demolition materials (non-recyclable building construction materials – drywall, asphalt shingles, plastic sinks/tubs, floor tiles, etc.; non-recyclable building contents and personal property – carpeting/ rugs, furnishings, clothing, etc.)
Electronic waste – e-waste, discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery.
Household hazardous waste (paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, pesticides, etc.); please be sure these materials are in a secured container and are not leaking in any way.
White goods – large home appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, driers, etc. (please follow the (name of the jurisdiction) guidelines for disposal of refrigerators. Place refrigerators curbside free of putrescent waste.
Vegetative materials (trees, limbs, brush, leaves, etc.) Please be advised that debris removal crews WILL NOT, enter onto private property to collect or remove debris.
Normal household trash – normal household waste, recyclables and bagged debris of any kind will not be collected with your storm debris. Please continue to follow the normal garbage removal schedule.
Please do not attempt to place garbage or other household refuse with the disaster debris, as it will not be accepted, and it will delay your storm debris collections.
For Hurricane Ian information, call the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center at (941) 833-4000 or (941) 743-1320.
Media and the public can follow Charlotte County Emergency Management’s important emergency information at charlottecountyfl.gov/em, facebook.com/oemcharlottecounty and twitter.com/ccoem.
The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association spoke with Lee County Solid Waste Communications Specialist Molly Schweers, who gave Executive Director Misty Nichols some pertinent island information:
1. Will there be just one round of pickup or multiple rounds? Multiple.
2. While everyone is anxious for pickup to begin, there is so much cleanup that some are worried that they may not have a chance to get everything out to the road. We take that into account when doing debris assessments. People generally need time after the first debris collection pass to get more to the road. It’s part of the process.
3. With the very large trees taken down by the storm, is there any limit on removal (for example will root balls be removed)? If you are able to get root balls to the road right-of-way, they will be collected, but the contractor would not go on private property to collect them unless they posed some sort of public hazard.
4. Will separated construction debris be picked up at the end of the process or simultaneously? Usually, it is collected after the vegetative.
5. What is the estimated timeline including final round of pickup? There is no estimate for a final round, due of the extent of damage. We work diligently to get as much collected as possible within the first 60 days, because that is the timeframe for 100 percent FEMA reimbursement.
6. Will all streets on the island have pickup (gated and/or privately maintained)? Yes, private communities need to make sure they have a right of entry on file. It has to be submitted by the community association manager or HOA President. If a private community has any doubts, they can submit at this link: https://leegis.leegov.com/ROE or email the GICIA (thegicia@gmail.com) to double-check. Boca Grande Isles has already been confirmed.
if you live on a road that has regular weekly trash collection (even if it is a privately maintained road), and you put your hurricane debris out (following all the guidelines listed below in the Charlotte County Debris pickup information) it will be collected.
Many thanks to the GICIA for collecting a good portion of this information.
