Debris Removal Has Started in Diamondhead
Debris removal has started in the City of Diamondhead on Monday, November 30, 2020. Holiday Construction was awarded the contract by the City Council last week to remove all debris from the city right of way. In addition, the city council awarded a contract to Tetra Tech for monitoring the debris removal.
To begin, the contractor will focus on clearing Diamondhead Drive (loop), Golf Club Drive and Kapalama. Then, they will distribute trucks and trailers to each ward in the city. The contractor is required to make two full passes down every street within 30 calendar days. Then, the contractor will make one final pass to finish the clean-up.
Residents are asked to separate debris into two piles. One should be just trees and shrubbery. The second pile is construction materials (fences, lumber, sheetrock, etc.). Two different trucks will be picking up the different debris since it is delivered to different landfills. By separating this debris, the contractor will be able to move faster through the city. In addition, residents should not park their cars on the streets while these trucks are working in the city. These trucks and trailers are very large and will have to maneuver through our streets. If your vehicle is parked in the road, it could be hit by a truck and trailer. If your vehicle is blocking the debris pile, the contractor will pass your property and move onto the next house. This means your debris pile may not get picked up on this first pass.
Residents are asked to please drive slowly while trucks are working in the streets. This will help keep everyone safe during this clean-up process. We also want to remind residents that the City of Diamondhead is still under a “burn ban” until further notice.
Finally, there has been some questions from residents asking why it took so long to get the debris removed. To qualify for FEMA reimbursement for the cost to remove this debris, the City must follow their guidelines for procuring contracts. This includes advertising 2 consecutive weeks in the paper and then waiting 7 business days to open bids. We opened bids on Friday, November 20 and awarded the first contract to the monitor that day. The council awarded the contract for the debris removal contractor the next Monday, November 23. It takes a few days to mobilize equipment once the contract is issued with notice to proceed, thus work is beginning today. The debris is estimated at 125 cubic yards with an estimated cost of $1.7 million. If the city did not follow FEMA guidelines, the city would have to pay 100% of this cost. If we follow FEMA guidelines as we have done, the City may only be required to pay 12.5% (or $212,500). The council decided to follow the guidelines to try to get financial assistance from FEMA for the cost of removing the debris.
Thank you for your patience through this process. We are working hard to clean up after Hurricane Zeta.
Michael Reso, City Manager
