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Highland leaders, residents praise crews after microburst; city outlines cleanup plan
Summary
After a localized storm that downed trees and knocked out power in parts of Highland, residents and council members praised city line crews and staff detailed debris pickup guidance and plans to extend spring cleanup dumpsters through May 23.
Mayor Kevin Hemann and residents praised Highland’s line crews on Monday after a localized storm left downed trees and power outages across the center of town.
"I would like to reiterate that. Our guys were out there all night," Mayor Kevin Hemann said, thanking crews for overnight work restoring power. Several residents echoed that gratitude during the public forum.
City Manager Chris Conrad told the council the storm behaved like a microburst affecting roughly a 20-by-20 block area and that cellphone and internet outages complicated response. "I want to thank the numerous employees that responded," Conrad said, and he specifically recognized Kevin Timmermann from the City of Breese for assisting with restoration.
John Kapp and other residents reported extensive tree damage and lingering outages. Council members noted the scale of debris and urged residents to take steps to prepare yard waste for pickup: cut smaller branches for weekly pickup in marked yard waste containers or bundle them; move limbs two inches or larger to the curb and call 654-9891 ext. 4 to schedule collection.
Director Jackie Heimburger told council the Spring Cleanup dumpster outside City Hall had filled again and staff will arrange another dump to extend availability through May 23 while negotiating with Republic Services to secure additional dumpsters.
To reduce mattress and furniture disposal at the drop-off, Conrad said the city plans to purchase plastic covers to distribute at City Hall and encourage use of curbside bulk pickup by scheduling pickups several days in advance.
The Farmers’ Market will resume Tuesday evenings, 4–7 p.m. on the Square through Sept. 30, Conrad added.
The mayor reconvened and adjourned the council later in the meeting after executive session business; no additional public action on storm recovery was taken that night.
