Next Step: The Cleanup
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WATER VALLEY – The Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors will open proposals Thursday for emergency debris cleanup following Winter Storm Fern. The planned opening follows a lengthy discussion during the board’s Feb. 2 “first Monday” meeting as Board President Cayce Washington emphasized the importance of using local contractors while ensuring the county remains eligible for federal reimbursement.
Washington also noted that the county cleared roughly 95 percent of roads within four days of the storm using county crews and local volunteers and contractors.
“We’re not talking about cutting a path anymore,” Washington said. “We’re talking about doing this the right way so FEMA will reimburse the county and we don’t get stuck with the bill.”
The board also voted to extend the county’s local emergency declaration, allowing supervisors to continue addressing life-safety issues without normal bid requirements while beginning the formal procurement process for long-term cleanup.
Representatives from three large-scale debris cleanup contractors attended Monday’s meeting, along with more than a dozen local contractors, underscoring strong interest in the debris removal.
“I want to be very clear,” Washington told the outside companies . “Any debris company that comes in here is expected to use local contractors as subcontractors. If that’s not something you’re willing to do, this probably isn’t the county for you. Some of this money needs to stay right here in this county,” he added. “We want to clean this up, but we also want to take care of our own people.”
