Monroe County extends timeline for storm debris cleanup, Bloomington nearly done

The timeline for picking up debris from last month's windstorm keeps stretching for Monroe County residents.

Monroe County had more 1,000 requests for debris removal, according to Justin Baker, deputy director of Monroe County Emergency Management , and that's all it can handle. The county has contracted with a private company to conduct storm debris removal, and it's taking much longer than anticipated.

The county released a revised pickup schedule that shows it is still trying to finish the first township to be serviced. The county earlier this month announced it would conduct debris removal by township.

When will debris be picked up in Monroe County?

When should city of Bloomington residents expect storm debris to be cleared?

Bloomington is nearly done picking up storm-related debris, according to city spokeswoman Desiree DeMolina.

"We have made significant progress with storm debris pickup and have completed the first pass through most neighborhoods," DeMolina said. "We've hit almost every area at least once."

The city's contractor is set to complete its work next week, and residents who set debris out late should not expect it to be collected once crews have already been through their neighborhood. However, the city continues to accept debris drop-offs from city residents at Lower Cascades Park , 3601 N. Old Ind. 37, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, DeMolina said.

The city has only picked up debris from single-family residences. Businesses, apartment complexes, and religious or educational institutions need to make their own arrangements, as do private neighborhoods not maintained by the city, DeMolina said.

"For neighborhoods with hold harmless agreements, where we provide sanitation services, we will address debris pickup once all storm-debris UReport submissions are closed," DeMolina said.

Reach Jill Bond at jbond@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County extends timeline for storm debris cleanup, Bloomington nearly done