Some Chattanooga taxpayers will balk at the idea of paying a pair of outside contractors up to $2.5 million to collect brush and other storm debris left behind after the city was pummeled by a series of death-dealing tornadoes and storms on April 27. They are right to question the expenditure, but sometimes spending money makes sense. This is one of those times.
City Public Works employees worked hard after the storms to clear the streets. They’ve continued to remove storm-related debris from curbsides even as they fulfill their regular tasks like garbage collection. Doing both, however, has strained, if not overwhelmed, the department’s resources. Given the unprecedented amount of storm damage, that is unsurprising.
The City Council’s approval of the outside contract, then, is timely. A city spokesman said this week that the 311 center had about 8,000 requests for brush pickup. Public Works officials added that it could take up to 18 weeks for city employees to remove storm debris. That’s far too long for it to remain.
The unsightly brush is both a safety and an esthetic issue. There are numerous reports of places where unsightly piles of tree branches and other materials obstruct sight lines at intersections, or make it difficult for homeowners to leave their driveways. The use of outside contractors should expedite the clean-up process.
The crews already have started work in the Brainerd area. In coming days and weeks, they will move systematically from neighborhood to neighborhood across the city. Once done, they’ll repeat the neighborhood-by-neighborhood sweeps. The result should be a safer and more attractive city in a relatively short expanse of time.