Cole County begins drafting storm debris ordinance after cleanup costs, confusion
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Cole County Commission is considering an ordinance that would prohibit residents from leaving storm debris in the public right-of-way for the county to remove.
Cole County Western District Commissioner Harry Otto said the proposal follows a July 4 storm that left fallen trees, branches and other debris throughout the county.
Cole County Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said crews initially focused on clearing debris that blocked roads. They returned July 7 and 8 to remove debris along road edges and within the county right-of-way, Landwehr said.
Landwehr said residents and volunteer groups later left additional debris along roads, apparently expecting county crews to collect it.
Otto said he does not believe removing debris from private property should be the county’s responsibility. Landwehr said he believes residents were well-intentioned but misunderstood the county’s expectations.
The county did not have a policy clearly defining its responsibilities or those of property owners, Landwehr said. Otto said the storm also did not qualify for a federal disaster declaration, meaning the county will not receive federal assistance for cleanup.
“The good news is it wasn't bad enough to call in the feds and have it declared a disaster area. The bad news is we don't get any federal money to help clean it up because it wasn't bad enough,” Otto said.
Landwehr cited one pile of debris the county may have to mulch at an estimated cost of $10,000.
Otto said the goal is to establish clear expectations for residents and county employees while allowing public works crews to focus on their other responsibilities.
“We really didn't have a policy in place to address this and now that we've experienced it, we see that we should have some kind of a written policy,” Otto said.
Otto said the goal of this ordinance is to ensure county employees are focusing on appropriate projects. He said he does not want the county to enforce significant fines for violating this ordinance.
Otto said rural communities across Cole County experienced storm damage, particularly Osage City in the eastern part of the county. He said officials are working to determine how to identify the hardest-hit areas and prioritize cleanup assistance after future storms.
Landwehr said the county has not yet determined how the proposed ordinance would be enforced. He said enforcement could involve the sheriff's department or county prosecutor.
Landwehr said the commission hopes to have a final draft ready next week.
