September 22, 2017  | Visit our webpage
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From City Hall
Collection drive
Items collected so far at the Public Safety Buiding, 2801 Salzedo Street.
Recovery Updates - Afternoon Report

Note: eNews will return to its biweekly schedule after this week.
 
Disaster Relief Collection:
We thank you for the donations that have been made so far to help families from the Florida Keys who were left homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The City of Coral Gables Disaster Relief Collection continues until 3 p.m. on Friday, September 29. Please consider donating the following: clean clothing, clean towels, clean linens and comforters/quilts, pillows and personal unused hygiene products. Please note that we're not accepting any food donations. You can drop off your donations at the lobby of the Public Safety Building, 2801 Salzedo Street. All donations will be transported to a nearby center that is handling the direct distribution of items to the affected families being sheltered at FIU.
 
Hotline Number:
Beginning on Monday, the City of Coral Gables hotline number 305-460-5401 for Hurricane Irma related issues will operate from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. For after hours and weekend calls, please call the City's non-emergency number at 305-442-1600.
 
Recycling:
Regular recycling service will resume on Monday, September 25 .  Please help us help you by placing your loose recyclables (not bagged) in their red bins either at the curb - separate from garbage and debris piles - or in a location visible from the street and very accessible to the collection teams the evening before their scheduled collection day. We expect larger than usual volumes of recycling material so please be patient; we may arrive later than usual.  Trash bulk pick up is suspended until further notice.
 
Garbage:
The City of Coral Gables will continue its regular collection of garbage. Please place your garbage cans/bags curbside or as close to the street as possible for quicker pick up by our collection crews.  Garbage must be kept separate from debris piles. Trash bulk pick up is suspended until further notice.
 
Debris Collection:
Debris collection will continue throughout the weekend. The City has been actively clearing blocked roadways beginning the first daybreak after the storm on Monday, September 11, that left more than 170,000 cubic yards of landscape debris. More than 80 debris collection trucks (some as large as 100 cubic yards) continue working daily throughout the City, collecting and transporting full truckloads to our debris staging area, all per FEMA guidelines.  They measure the debris, unload, and return to the zone for more collection.  The City has two large volume grinding/chipping machines and a third as back-up to expedite processing.  The initial citywide cleanup is expected to take three weeks, although we are feverishly working to get it done sooner.  We then expect residents to continue to place additional debris in their swales as they conduct back yard landscape clean-up, which we will also collect.  In comparison, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 took nearly 3 months and cost almost $10 million; Hurricane Wilma in 2005 cost over $12 million and took over 2 months. Because the City of Coral Gables followed FEMA guidelines, FEMA reimbursed 75% and the State of Florida reimbursed 12.5% for both Katrina and Wilma, which arrived in the same fiscal year.
 
Residents are reminded to place only landscape/vegetative material in debris piles - No plastic bags or non-landscape material, or furniture of any kind, may be placed in debris piles.  If your landscape service is assisting in cutting and clearing on your property, limbs and branches must be cut to 4'-6' lengths so they can be picked up by collection equipment.
 
Damaged Signs:
If you see any traffic or parking sign that is down or damaged in the City of Coral Gables, take a photo and send to us at parking@coralgables.com.  Please give us the location and we will address it as soon as possible. Please note that we have a large number of requests and we will prioritize them based on safety.
 
Traffic update:
  • 7 traffic crash reports were written yesterday (no injuries);
  • 6 traffic lights are inoperable;
  • 6 police officers are escorting 3 cleanup crews around the city;
Trees:
In order to identify City trees (trees on City right-of-ways and/or on City property) that have fallen onto the property of City residents and expedite the cleaning process, please email the City at  irmatrees@coralgables.com with the following information:
  •  Contact information (name of resident, address and telephone number);
  • Pictures of fallen tree (please include a picture showing where the tree was originally planted - swale, sidewalk, etc.); and
  • Whether the tree is blocking ingress/egress into the residence.
Please call your insurance providers if there is structural, vehicular or property damage and follow their instructions to accurately file claims.
 
Business Recovery:
The City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, along with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), will co-host a Business Recovery Assistance Workshop for local businesses affected by Hurricane Irma. Attend this workshop and learn the best way to recover from this disaster, gain access to resources and how to best prepare for future storms. The workshop takes place on Monday, September 25, 3 p.m. at Actors' Playhouse at Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. To RSVP, click: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-recovery-assistance-workshop-tickets-38090460593
 
Gables Greenways:
Two open houses will be held to discuss the Gables Greenways, a project to provide a safe, low-stress bicycle experience that will attract people of all ages and  abilities in Coral Gables. On Thursday, September 8, 6-8 p.m., at the Coral Gables Museum (285 Aragon Avenue) the open house will focus on downtown streets; on Wednesday, October 18, 6-8 p.m., at the Coral Gables Library (3443 Segovia Street) will focus on residential streets. For info, visit www.gablesgreenways.com
 
Giralda Plaza Grand Opening:
The grand opening of Giralda Plaza has been rescheduled for Friday, October 13, 7-10 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music and a special performance. 
 
Fairchild:
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is reopening after Hurricane Irma tomorrow Saturday, September 23 with free admission to the public on Sept 23 and Sept 24. All exhibits are functional and open.  Fairchild Garden has established a Hurricane Garden Relief Fund to help rebuild and restore the Garden. Monies will be used to raise felled trees and restore damaged collections and grounds.  Visit www.fairchildgarden.org  for more info.
 
 
Thank you for your Patience!
 
#GablesStrong
 
Quick Links
Miracle Mile & Giralda Ave Streetscape Update
To view weekly updates on the construction work, traffic impact and other relevant information, click here.
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