Albany officials: Storm cleanup 95 percent done

ALBANY — Assistant City Manager Phil Roberson told the Albany Utility Board Thursday morning that 95 percent of the storm debris from January storms that hit the community had been collected by Ceres Environmental, the Minnesota-based company that contracted with the city of Albany to collect and dispose of the debris.

Roberson, in a report at the end of the board’s meeting, said the city’s contract with Ceres ends at midnight Friday, but he said after the meeting the city might look into the possibility of extending its contract with Ceres or working with another company to finish the debris collection.

“The city collected 105,000 cubic yards of debris immediately after the storm (to clear roadways and alleyways), and Ceres has collected around 450,000 cubic yards,” Roberson said. “That’s about 95 percent of the debris. But we will still be reimbursed by FEMA at 75 percent of cost for debris collected in the next 90 days, so the work will continue.

“One of the things we’re putting together is a plan to get as much debris as possible out of people’s yards and onto rights-of-way so that we can collect that debris. The city can’t go onto private property, but we want to coordinate with volunteer groups to get as much debris as possible out of people’s yards and to the curbs, where we can collect it. That will be part of our cleanup process over the next 90 days.”

Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, who serves as chairwoman of the Utility Board, asked Roberson if the plan includes removal of leaning trees on private property and removal of the 600-plus root balls that remain on private property.

“All of that is part of our plan,” Roberson said. “We’re looking at ways to remove the easiest (root balls) to get to first, and then trying to find a way to get to others that are a little more difficult. All of these issues will be addressed.”

At the meeting, the board voted to recommend to the Albany City Commission that it approve a contract with Gulf Coast Survey Co. of Troy, Ala., to conduct a walking gas leakage survey at a cost of $79,875.19. Gas Department Superintendent Ronnie Bowers said the survey will be completed over a three-year period.

“That company will inspect every gas main we have, and we have more than 500 miles of main,” Bowers said. “We’ve divided the city into three zones, and they’ll complete one zone a year. We used to do this survey every five years, but now we have to do an atmosphere and corrosion survey every three years, so we thought it best to bundle those services.”

Bowers said the gas leak survey is required by the Public Service Commission.

The City Commission will vote on the recommendation at its April 11 meeting.