Officials voting on $40-per-mile debris cleanup cost Tuesday morning

Reporter: Marcello Cuadra Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
Destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News)

Tuesday county leaders are expected to vote on a nearly 80,000% increase for a portion of possible storm clean-up.

Lee County’s original contract from 2017 shows it costs five cents a mile to take the debris out of the county. In the new contract being discussed on Tuesday, the cost jumps up to $40 a mile.

Around nearly every corner in Southwest Florida, you can see trees, furniture, appliances, and memories scattered.

While people want to move on from Ian, the wrath lies right in front of residents’ yards and around their communities.

Debris piled in front of a home on Sunrise Drive in North Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian, Tuesday, October 11, 2022. (Credit: WINK News)

The clean-up is no easy matter and that’s where Lee County comes in.

The new contract commissioners will consider this at Tuesday’s meeting with Crowder-Gulf Joint Venture Inc.

It points out specific responsibilities and costs connected with clean up after the hurricane left the area a mess.

Charlotte County debris clean-up. (CREDIT: WINK News)

And, one number that stood out in 2017, Crowder charged five cents per mile to use a disposal site outside of Lee County, but that has spiked to $40 a mile.

While it may seem steep, according to the county, the total contract adds up to about an 11% increase over the last five years.

It’s impossible for the county to estimate how much debris there is because there is still a lot to be assessed and other factors are also playing a role.

Commissioners will vote on the new contract Tuesday morning.

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