The collection of debris in The Villages in the wake of Hurricane Milton has been a long, slow process.
The Villages District Government has contracted with a special hauler in order to receive reimbursement for the debris pickup from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Hurricane Milton swept across Florida on Oct. 9. Debris collection began in The Villages on Oct. 20.
To date, more than 12,000 cubic yards of debris has been collected in The Villages.
It is hoped that debris collection will be completed by Dec. 15 in The Villages. The collection has been paused for the Thanksgiving holiday and is scheduled to resume on Monday.
Many residents have expressed their frustration with the slow pace of debris collection. But FEMA has a strict process in place for governments seeking reimbursement.
“As local government entities, each District qualifies for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for these cleanup efforts. Debris removal must be accurately coordinated, tracked, and separated (by District) for FEMA reimbursement purposes; so, this is a carefully planned, monitored, and executed operation,” The Villages District Government said in a statement issued this week.
It’s not clear exactly how much money is at stake, but in 2017 after Hurricane Irma, the FEMA reimbursement ran into the millions of dollars. Not all of the money was recovered.
Do you think the slow collection of debris is worth the FEMA reimbursement? Share your thoughts at letters@villages-news.com.
