Collier County urges patience during debris clean-up

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GOLDEN GATE, Fla. – Piles of debris remain on curbs in Collier County two weeks after storms ripped through neighborhoods.

Homeowners said crews have been slow to remove the buildup, but have been working since Jan. 30. The pace of clean-up efforts is not fast enough, many of them said Tuesday.

Collier County Director of Public Utilities Dan Roriguez said debri is accumulating even as crews work to remove it. Because the demand is as huge as the county is large, officials have hired additional help, Rodriguez said.

For concerned residents, Rodriguez assures that work is being completed and will continue. The amount of debri removed is equivalent to more than 10,000 washing machine loads, he said.

“So far we’ve collected close to 11,000 cubic yards of material,” he said. “We anticipate probably another 10,000 to 11,000 cubic yards remaining.”

Residents can also contribute to the debri clean-up but putting smaller debri into garbage bags that can be collected on regular trash days.

“The large grappling trucks that are coming out, our specialty contractor, they’re not going to grab those real small piles. They’re only out there for the large material,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said residents need to keep debris clear of mailboxes and hydrants. County officials urge residents to be patient during the process and plans to have crews removing debris for the next two weeks.

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