Updated: Fly Creek Clean Up Plan Hits Snag

Fairhope, Alabama 

 

Update: The cleanup deadline was extended to after the holidays, January 1st.

 

Fly Creek hurricane Sally debris.

 WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR COST?

At the December 14th council meeting,  Public Works director Johnson said various federal and state agencies are balking at funding clean-up costs for removing hurricane Sally tree debris from Fly Creek.

Johnson: "We went round and round with the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) ... they decided they're not responsible ... then state lands the ADCNR (Al. Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources)... they abdicated too ... . The issue we have now ... FEMA is telling us they can't pay ... if another agency is supposed to be responsible."

Johnson: "It's not going to be inexpensive if we get stuck with 100% of the cost; no guarantee of reimbursement."  

He said December 22 was the last possible go-no-go date for the city's debris removal contractor Crowder Gulf to remove the creek debris; all street debris was to be removed by then.

Johnson added he and the mayor were still working hard for a resolution before the deadline.

Councilman Boone told the Times he thought "everyone just needed to get into one room" to resolve the issue; councilman Brown, who resides on the creek in the affected area himself, said this was the first he heard of any of the issues.

(A barge will have to be used to remove the debris.)