Venice – The City of Venice expects to spend about $17.7 million on cleanup after the effects of Hurricane Ian, including $8.55 million on debris removal.
Linda Sene, the city’s finance director, broke the news to the city council as part of a post-storm update on Tuesday.
In a separate presentation, Assistant City Manager James Clinch said the most serious impact on the city’s infrastructure was erosion on Alhambra Road, just north of the Venice Sands condominiums, which washed away the road and caused damage to surrounding beaches. He told the board that the sand had eroded. rainwater outlet.
“The Venice Sands washout is probably the biggest infrastructure problem caused by the storm,” Clinch said. “It’s pretty massive.”
A while ago:The beach after Hurricane Ian
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Paul Forte, a member of the Venice Sands Condominium Homeowners Association, said beach lovers who still use the edge of the road to access Venice Beach due to road damage, including the sinkhole he described. He said a dangerous situation had arisen for his home.
“My condo is right on top of it, and as a civil engineer, I get a bird’s eye view of the erosion creep as the sinkhole grows in the last 10 days I’ve been back,” Forte said. “If this erosion continues, there are concerns about the structural integrity of the building and driveway retaining walls.”
Workers also have no access to damaged propane tanks used by the condominium association to fuel emergency generators, he added. Residents of the 78-unit, 11-story condo could lose emergency power to the elevator if another storm hits before repairs are completed.
He said the eroded area is about 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep.
Surfers, swimmers and scuba divers still use this area to access the beach.
“They’re walking within a few feet of this sinkhole and within a few feet of this ditch that runs all the way to the bay,” Forte said.
Related:Sarasota and Manatee counties escaped storm surge
Clinch later said the exposed storm drain was buried somewhere six to eight feet below the beach.
Senne estimates that about $1.5 million has been allocated to repairing the city’s stormwater infrastructure.
Clinch said most of the money was likely attributable to the Alhambra Road.
Clinch said the city wants the Army Corps of Engineers to take care of beach repairs. For the high altitude issue, the city should probably hire its own contractor and apply for reimbursement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A good portion of the Venetian Waterway Park was also washed away near the Venice Municipal Airport, Clinch said, but it’s on the West Coast Inland Waterway and is believed to be in the possession of repairs.
Clinch said most of the buildings had some damage, much of which was within the city’s insurance deductible.
We document that bent signs and other items that are not critical to public safety may receive a FEMA refund prior to repair.
The greatest structural damage occurred at Venice Municipal Airport. Current estimates put the damage to the city’s airport building and T-hangars rented to pilots to store planes at about $1.3 million.
City general funds may be used to prepay debris removal costs, and any money received will be replenished with FEMA reimbursement, which could take three to four years.
Some assistance may also be available from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Debris cleanup is progressing
The city and its contractors — O’Brien’s and the city, which monitor CrowderGulf for hauling and debris for FEMA reimbursement — are on their 20th day of operations for debris management, said Ashley, Deputy Director of Public Works. Castle said.
Most of the construction and demolition debris is from the Country Club Estate, Colonial Manor and Capri Isles Boulevard. The goal is to complete the first pass in the next 12-15 days.
Castle noted that carriers are concentrating on locations that can be fully loaded with packages to be disposed of.
Construction and demolition debris will be transported to a site near Palmetto, while plant debris will be transported to northern Sarasota County for disposal, Clinch said. None head for the Sarasota County Landfill on the Knights Trail Road.
Related: Debris removal in Venice bypasses condos and mobile homes
So far, 75,000 cubic yards of debris have been collected within the city limits.
The report projects that Hurricane Ian will produce 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris.
In contrast, 25,000 cubic yards of debris were recovered after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“It turned out to be a much larger and more comprehensive event than Irma,” said Clinch.
The city submitted an application to FEMA on October 11 for a permit to collect debris from the gated community.
Reimbursement for collections from mobile home parks is complicated, Clinch told the Herald-Tribune.
The City may collect debris on Country Club estates as homeowners own their own land.
By contrast, Bay Indies, a mobile home community for over 55s with more than 1,300 units owned by Chicago-based Bay Indies, LLC, is considered a for-profit organization, and FEMA allows for-profit organizations to conduct their own debris removal. Expect to process.
Since the storm, property owners have hired SaabPro to clean up, Clinch said, but the city is still exploring options with FEMA on debris removal.
“We’ll have to do a little more research on that,” he added.
The city’s primary task is to remove debris that has accumulated along public roads and from city parks.
“From a public safety standpoint, we have a duty to make public roads and parks safe first,” Clinch said.
Ultimately, if the city ventures into Bay Indies or any other area not considered eligible for reimbursement by FEMA, Venice will have to bear the costs.
in other actions
Also on Tuesday, the city council:
• Consented by a 5-to-1 vote, opposed by Council member Mitzie Fielder, instructing staff to remove the February 28, 2023 sunset clause on trial ordinances allowing alcohol consumption on Venice beaches. Did. The decision came after both Police Chief Andy Leisenring and Assistant City Manager James Clinch told the board that there would be no increase in incidents or litter associated with the decision. Chris Johnson, owner of Jetty Jacks, and Justin Bloomquist, one of the owners of the Venice Pilot House in Venice Beach, told the board they were checking the beach near their facility. Neither said they found an increase in alcohol-related litter. Fielders also voted against a year-long trial in February. City officials plan to draft an ordinance to remove the Sunset Clause. The ordinance must go through two public hearings.
• Mayor Ron Feinsod authorized the signing of a $2.75 million park impact fee to design and build a 5-acre public park off Laurel Road in northeast Venice.
• Collaborate with Local1718 of the National Federation of State, County and Citizens Employees for a 5.5% increase in all pay grades and reinitiating the 3.5% step in a three-year contract from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. Approved the agreement. Increase in employees who are not in the stopping step.
• Approved an agreement with the Fraternity Police Order for Sergeants and Lieutenants on a three-year contract from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. A first-year sergeant’s base salary is his $90,000, with a maximum of $103,961. The base salary for a lieutenant is $105,000 and the top step is $117,812.
Earle Kimel is primarily responsible for the Herald-Tribune in Southern Sarasota County and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. The Herald-Tribune Digital Support local journalism with his subscription.
