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Board approves contract amendment with Southern Disaster Recovery as debris costs rise; residents complain of ash from burn sites
Summary
Commissioners approved a contract amendment and budget changes to maintain debris‑removal operations after the county’s projected cleanup costs rose; residents testified about ashfall and health impacts from burn sites operated by the contractor.
Rutherford County commissioners approved a contract amendment with Southern Disaster Recovery (SDR) and an associated budget amendment to continue hurricane‑related debris removal after county staff said the projected cost of the cleanup rose by several million dollars.
County staff reported SDR had removed about 550,000 cubic yards of debris as of Feb. 1 and projected total removal needs of 650,000–675,000 cubic yards. Staff said the original cost estimate for completing the cleanup was about $15 million but that, after a state price adjustment, the total is now expected to approach $20 million. County finance staff told the board that, in past debris removals, work has been largely 100% reimbursable by FEMA, although private property or questions about eligibility can complicate reimbursements.
Paula (Finance Director) presented the budget amendment and explained the state emergency‑management pricing adjustment was intended to keep trucks working by increasing per‑unit compensation to contractors given high regional demand. Commissioners voted to approve the budget amendments and an amendment to the SDR contract to reflect the revised pricing; staff said the action was to keep ongoing cleanup operations moving while awaiting final FEMA approval.
The public‑comment period included multiple residents who said debris‑removal burn pits were producing ash that is damaging property and causing respiratory symptoms. David Mullins said ash “falls out of the sky” and described respiratory illness in family members that he attributed to smoke from a burn area on Henson Road; he said piles of ash had adhered to vehicle surfaces and in one case damaged an RV membrane. Barbara Smith said the ashfall had been recurring and called the situation “inexcusable.” Residents pressed county staff to increase onsite monitoring and reduce burning where possible.
County staff and SDR representatives said some sites are being mulched rather than burned and that mulch has been made available for public pickup at the landfill; staff said two sites that could not be safely burned were being chipped and that the county had reached capacity for using chips as landfill cover. Commissioners asked staff to continue monitoring burn operations and to follow up on complaints.
The board approved the SDR contract amendment and the budget amendment authorizing the higher pricing; staff said continued cleanup would proceed while final FEMA eligibility and reimbursement determinations are completed.
