Got tree debris?
Monday morning Golden Valley City Council approved a plan to have a drop-off site for those who need to get rid of tree limbs, branches and brush. from their Golden Valley homes.
"As of noon today [June 24] we have opened a drop-off site at 9401 10th Avenue in Golden Valley," said Golden Valley Mayor Shep Harris. "This is city property and will be open through [Wednesday] July 3."
The drop off site will be open noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
According to a city of Golden Valley press release:
Condense brush and logs into two separate piles, one pile of each per household. Logs and brush can be no longer than 12 feet.
· Keep piles completely clear of sidewalks, mailboxes, streetlights and sign poles, landscaping and fences, overhead tree branches, and power lines. The contractor uses trucks with automated loading arms to pick up the brush piles. If your brush is stacked near a restricted area or tossed in a pile rather than stacked, it will be left behind. The contractor will not load brush by hand.
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· If piles don't fit between the curb and sidewalk, place them on the boulevard behind the sidewalk.
· No leaves, grass clippings, stumps, roots, building lumber, landscape timbers, or bags of garbage will be picked up. If any of these items are mixed in the brush stacks, the entire stack will be left behind. The contractor will not sort through brush stacks for acceptable material.
Find out what's happening in Golden Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"If people aren’t able to bring stuff to that location or can wait long enough we're doing a debris pick up starting on July 1," Harris said. "We'll have one designated crew going from one side of the city to the other side, but that pick up service could take several weeks depending on how residents many use the drop-off site, what degree of debris is out there and peoples' ability to bring brush to the drop-off site."
Harris said the city encourages residents to use the drop-off site if they can.
One thing Harris did emphasize is that the pick-up service is a one-time only deal.
"We're making exception to how the city usually operates after storms," Harris said. "We don't want to lull people into a false sense of security that we're always going to come around to pick up tree debris after every storm."
He does foresee probably having a drop-off site after significant storm damage like this time. But the pick-up service is "a good will gesture," he said.
"We did this in 2007 as an exception and later people got angry when another storm happened and didn’t do it for that storm system," Harris said.
"Financially we can’t have pick up debris by the curb after every storm system. We felt this was a unique situation this time with how hard and how much happened in such a short amount of time."
Harris emphasized preparation for severe weather is more important than ever.
"Be prepared, if you have generators make sure they're ready to go, get batteries and have four days worth of food prepped if possible," Harris said.
He cautioned people to be aware of people posing as solicitors who don't have a solicitation license for the city who offer to clean up debris or help with flood damage with payment up front.
"Someone could be desperate to get that kind of help and shell out $5,000, but the supposed solicitor doesn't come back to do the work," Harris said.
He hadn't heard of this happening recently, but knows it's happened in the past.
Lastly, Mayor Harris said Monday morning there were still about 2,500 people without power including himself. He asked residents to be patient as the city works with Xcel Energy to get power back to everyone.
"We have about four crews going around clearing debris from a lot of places and getting water out of catch basins and we ask if any residents can help with clearing out catch basins that will help deter more future flooding issues," he said.
Brookview Park and Golf Course had about 30 downed or damaged trees and the golf course could be up and running, but modified. The driving range and certain holes still need to be repaired to make it a full 18-hole function course again, Harris said.
More information:
Hiring A Tree Contractor
Downed and damaged trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. When hiring a tree contractor, use the following tips for optimal results:
·Start by checking the phone directory under Trees or Tree Service. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations.
· Beware of door-knockers. Most reputable companies have all the work they can handle without going door-to-door.
· Ask for certificates of insurance, including proof of liability for personal and property damage and worker’s compensation. Call the insurance company to make certain the policy is current. Under some circumstances, you can be held financially responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property.
·Never pay in advance for the work.
Ash Wood Disposal
Federal quarantine requires all ash wood be taken to designated disposal sites (like Golden Valley’s temporary drop off site). Ash wood also cannot be moved out of Hennepin County.
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