Recovery Updates - Afternoon Report
Utilities on Your Backyard:
We're received numerous inquiries about who is responsible for maintaining the electric lines and poles around your backyard.
FPL has the responsibility to trim or remove trees interfering with power lines. They also have the contractual duty to do so, based on the Franchise Agreement, which requires them to maintain the power lines.
FPL is responsible for protecting their own lines and equipment and they have a preventive maintenance program called "line clearing" to regularly clear tree branches and limbs from electrical equipment and lines to help improve the quality of your electric service. This may include the pruning or cutting of trees, and if they do, FPL is also responsible for removing resulting tree debris. You can view their services and responsibilities, in their own words, at https://www.fpl.com/reliability/trees/faq.html
Garbage:
The City of Coral Gables continues its regular collection of garbage this week. Please help us help you by placing 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. Recycling and trash bulk pick up is suspended until further notice. For more information, contact the City's hotline at 305-460-5401 between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For after hours, call 305-442-1600.
Debris Collection:
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. We now have more than 50 fully manned trash trucks (some as large as 100 cubic yards with super crews) working in five zones 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. Additional trucks will arrive today and will be immediately deployed. We have two large volume grinding/chipping machines and a third as back-up to expedite processing. We have been pleased with the crews, the equipment and the progress. 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.
Disaster Relief Collection:
The City of Coral Gables is starting a disaster relief collection to help families from the Florida Keys who were left homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20 through 3 p.m. on Friday, September 29, the City is collecting donations of: 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.
Venetian Pool is Open:
If you need to beat the heat, the Venetian Pool is the place to be. It has reopened today to its regular fall schedule: Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Traffic:
- 8 traffic crash reports were taken for the 24 hour period of September 18, 2017;
- 9 traffic lights are still inoperative in the city;
- 4 portable light towers are deployed to provide additional lighting in the evening hours;
- 6 police officers are escorting cleanup crews around the city.
New Hotline Hours:
If you have a Hurricane Irma related concern, please call 305-460-5401 between the hours of 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you need to reach the City of Coral Gables after hours, please contact the non-emergency number at 305-442-1600.
Lyft Ridesharing:
The complimentary Lyft sharing service offered in Coral Gables has ended. The City appreciates the assistance of Lyft for offering this benefit to our residents during their time of need.