Augusta neighborhood debris removal raises reimbursement concerns

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – After 40 days, the scars from Helene are still evident in the hard-hit Woodbine West neighborhood, but the debris removal is picking up.

"After we got everything to the curbs, it took as about three and a half days the crew that came in here, they got everything within ten feet of the curbs, and we hoped, and we prayed the next thing we knew the truck was here," said Skip Young Woodbine West Board Member.

Like other city neighborhoods, a city hired debris removal truck is on the streets collecting damage.

But Woodbine West is not like other city neighborhoods because it's a gated community, and for having FEMA take care of the bill is a concern.

"We have private gated communities that the commission has to approve before we can to into them to pick it up and we might not get reimbursed for those entities as well," said Commissioner Sean Frantom.

The safest move for the city would be no pickups in gated communities until the commission approves, but residents in Woodbine says they should not be subject to that.

"Oh, absolutely not. We pay taxes like everybody else. Even though we are a gated community, we still are entitled to have the same cleanup," said Young.

What's been already done in Woodbine is done.

Augusta's debris manager says the city can still submit the costs of what is being picked up in Woodbine to FEMA for consideration of full reimbursement.