The deadline for Little Rock residents to haul tornado debris to the curb has been extended to June 25, an additional two weeks from the initial deadline of June 11. The extension will come with a cost that FEMA assistance reimbursements won’t cover completely. The city will eat the cost to work with the contractor for longer, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said Wednesday.
Scott said that input from Director Capi Peck and community members influenced the deadline extension. To date, the clean-up crew has collected close to 400,000 cubic yards of tornado debris. The organic material is ground into mulch and used on top of the city’s landfill. Some of it could be available for residents to use in the future. Construction debris and other non-organic materials go directly into the landfill.
Marquis Willis, the city’s chief data officer, said the debris collected could fill 4,000 football fields. The number of structures damaged in the tornado reached close to 3,000, and more than 250 families claimed housing vouchers afterwards. Donations and volunteer hours from residents helped save the city an estimated $693,000, Willis said.
United Way will oversee distribution of the $510,000 in donations that came in after the tornado, Scott said. Their fee will be $50,000 or less to allocate dollars to local organizations and individuals. The city will use its budget funds to pay for the contract; no donation dollars will be put toward the contract, Scott said.
The June 25 deadline will be final, Scott said. Organic debris and construction material should be put in separate piles and placed within 10 feet of the road.
The Little Rock Board of Directors on Tuesday also approved a $470,000 land purchase to renovate a temporary fire station after the tornado destroyed Fire Station No. 9 on Shackleford Road. A portion of FEMA and city funds will be used to purchase property at 1509 Green Mountain Drive. The distance between the old station and the future temporary plot is less than one mile.
The temporary station would be used to continue service in the affected area until a new fire station can be designed and built, according to the city resolution.