- November 5, 2024
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The city of Palm Coast government has issued the following advisory the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 13:
Storm debris removal will begin in the next few days as arrangements are being made with haulers. To expedite debris removal from residences, the city asks residents to help by separating everything at the curb into the following categories:
Debris should be placed on your property near the curb – NOT on the street. Don’t pile vegetative debris on your water meter box or your sewer cleanout cap or your PEP tank lid. The city may need access to these systems during storm recovery.
Please be patient. It will take several passes through Palm Coast before all the debris (whether bagged or loose) is picked up. Simply leave the debris at curbside until it is picked up. This process is expected to take several weeks.
Commercial businesses and apartments, townhomes, and condominiums are responsible for their own debris cleanup and hauling. Hurricane debris will not be picked up by Waste Pro or the City’s debris collection contractor. Businesses and multi-family residential developments should not place debris at the curb.
Trees endangering property: Residents whose house is being endangered by a dead, dying or diseased tree from a neighboring property or public right-of-way should call city of Palm Coast Urban Forestry to report the tree issue. An inspector will be sent out to determine the action to be taken. Urban Forestry is at 386-986-3758.
Also call Urban Forestry if you have any fallen trees from the public right-of-way that have damaged private property.
Don’t play in wet swales: As Palm Coast continues to drain, there is standing water in some swales. That water is stormwater, and it is unsafe to play in it or wade through it. After a heavy rain, stormwater is full of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, oils/greases from roads and dog poo. In areas where manholes were bubbling up on a flooded road, that stormwater might contain a small amount of domestic wastewater (sewage from flushed toilets), as well.
With the pump stations not fully operational (because power is still out to many of them), the city has been pumping out the wastewater from multiple points along the system and trucking that wastewater to the treatment plant. The tanker trucks started operations Monday morning and have continued 24 hours a day since. The city also has added generators at some pump stations to keep them operating. The top goal is preventing floodwaters from entering homes.
Once the system is powered back up and is operating normally, and we are sure floodwaters are no longer threatening homes, the city’s efforts will shift toward cleanup. In areas where raw sewage was flowing, the city will use a vac truck to clean the swale and then disinfect the area using lime.
Limit water use: As the wastewater sewer system continues to be taxed because of the power outage, please limit your water use for showers, flushing, dish-washing. The less water that goes into the wastewater system, the less that has to be pumped out and trucked to the wastewater treatment plant.
If you get power restored and your PEP alarm sounds, please continue to limit your water use until the PEP alarm stops. If the PEP alarm continues after 15 minutes, please call Customer Service at 386-986-2360 to report.
Customer Service hours: Palm Coast Customer Service will continue to take calls tonight for issues related to City services, including water and sewer, streets and drainage. The number is 386-986-2360.
Parks & Recreation facilities and program: Palm Harbor Golf Club’s driving range and chipping and putting practice greens will reopen Friday, Sept. 15. The golf course is still closed for cleanup. All other parks are open, but not all amenities are available depending on park cleanup. The trails are still being cleaned up.\
Most Parks & Recreation programs will resume Thursday, Sept. 14. However, Open Gym Basketball and the Big Shots and Racquet Rookies II tennis clinics are canceled for Thursday.
The Lunch N’ Lecture scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15, will be held.
If you have property damage, hire a licensed contractor: All contractors other than for debris removal and landscaping/tree removal are required to have a license. Ask to see the license, and take a photo of it, if possible. Call the Palm Coast Building Division at 386-986-3780 to make sure they have the right license. Also, get a written contract before the work starts.
Permit fees waived for Irma-related damage: Fees will be waived through Nov. 30, 2017, for permits for fences, sheds, soffit/fascia/siding repairs, A/C equipment change-outs, electrical repairs (mast, weather-head, panel, lights), roofing, screen enclosure (aluminum cage) and docks for damage incurred as a result of Hurricane Irma. Information on the permits required, when necessary, and timing for acquiring those permits is available at the city’s website at palmcoastgov.com. It is the city’s intent to expedite all hurricane-related permits. Many minor repairs will not need a permit whatsoever. For any clarity, please call the Building Division at 386-986-3780.
More information on storm recovery is available on the city’s website at palmcoastgov.com. The city is also providing information on these social media accounts:
Flagler County Emergency Management is posting storm information at flaglercounty.org/irma.
Any questions about city of Palm Coast services – water and sewer, streets, drainage – should be directed to Customer Service at 386-986-2360.
