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Commissioners discuss storm debris piled by volunteer relief groups; county staff warn reimbursement is uncertain
Summary
After July 4 storms, volunteer groups piled debris along rights-of-way in Osage City; Public Works and Emergency Management described cleanup costs and limited prospects for state reimbursement, and commissioners directed staff to coordinate cleanup and identify staging sites.
Commissioners heard that Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief and other volunteers had been helping private residents after July 4 storms but had piled debris along rights-of-way in Osage City, creating a county cleanup and disposal task.
An agency official said cleaning up and hauling the piles will require equipment use, fuel and disposal costs and that while the county is attempting to pursue reimbursement, the state threshold for disaster reimbursement had not been met. "I would not put your faith in getting reimbursement for this," the official said, urging commissioners to consider that the county may shoulder costs.
Public Works staff and commissioners discussed options for handling the piles, including chipping on site or hauling material to the county compost or disposal facility. Staff emphasized the need for better pre-planning and coordination with volunteer relief organizations so future volunteer work and debris staging are less disjointed. Commissioners directed staff to work with Public Works and Emergency Management to identify staging sites for future events and to document hours and equipment use in case reimbursement becomes available.
Next steps: Public Works will coordinate cleanup logistics with Emergency Management and report back on costs and the feasibility of reimbursement; commissioners did not adopt a formal motion but provided direction to proceed.
