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Lake Park council authorizes option to use AshBritt for hurricane debris removal; residents press for faster cleanup
Summary
The Lake Park City Council voted 4-0 Oct. 1 to authorize the mayor to sign an agreement allowing the city to contract with AshBritt for hurricane debris removal under Lowndes County terms. Residents urged faster pickup, raised complaints about speed bumps and drainage, and a local business owner offered volunteer equipment.
Lake Park — The Lake Park City Council voted unanimously Oct. 1 to authorize Mayor Jena Sandlin to sign an agreement that would allow the city to contract with AshBritt for disaster debris removal under the same terms Lowndes County negotiated after last year’s storm.
City Clerk Lisa Johnson read the contractor language into the record and said the county’s request-for-proposals was written to allow cities to contract with the same vendor on the same terms. Council Member Oscar Griffith explained that Lowndes County had been declared a disaster, making the city eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement: "FEMA will reimburse up to 75%," Griffith said, and the remaining 25% is proposed to be split between the state and local governments at 12.5% each.
The authorization is limited to signing the agreement and does not bind the city to immediate payment; Johnson emphasized the city would pay the contractor after debris removal and then seek FEMA reimbursement. Julie Wilbers, a resident, cautioned that the Georgia Department of Transportation had provided cleanup assistance last year but is not obligated to do so again.
Residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to press for faster cleanup and to raise street and drainage concerns. Mimi Wetherington described the speed bumps on 4-H Club Road as "bone-jarring" and asked that they be removed; other residents said the bumps have helped slow traffic. Local business owner Jeffrey Craft, who does not live in Lake Park, offered equipment and volunteer help; Councilors said the city could assist with fuel if he is available to help.
Council Member Carl Spano made the motion to authorize the mayor to sign the agreement with AshBritt; Council Member Oscar Griffith seconded it. The motion carried, 4-0.
The process now depends on further discussions with the contractor about timing and logistics. Council members and staff said they expect the contractor to provide a timeline for pickup and that the city will continue triage efforts — clearing enough of each street for at least one lane — while awaiting contractor action. The council did not set a specific date for debris pickup completion at the meeting.
