Dunedin begins the ‘long haul’ to recovery — again

DUNEDIN — City Commissioner Moe Freaney said her neighbors had a margarita party in the middle of a street near where she lives on the Friday night after Hurricane Milton struck Dunedin.

It was part of the healing.

Many people and many parts of the community have stepped up for those who have been the most affected, Freaney said at the commission's Tuesday meeting.

"It could have so much worse. But we have a long ways to go. We will do it together. We will get there. And we will be Dunedin," Freaney said.

Other commissioners had similar comments.

"Everybody that's given a little or a lot should be equally thanked," Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski said.

"And it's going to be a long haul, and patience is going to be needed from all of us, whether we are in this position or a staff member or a resident that is experiencing all of this. We are all working towards the same goal," Bujalski said.

The difference between municipal government and state government is that "we live right here where the incidents happen," Bujalski said.

"We are not typical government. We're your neighbors and you're our neighbors. We have every intention of doing everything humanly possible to fix something, and I believe our team will do that," she said.

But she also noted that some areas have consistent flooding that city officials may not be able to fix.

"So if there really isn't, we need to come to that determination and find the right way, financially, or through grants or through insurance or through (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) or through whatever, if property needs to be no longer used as a residence," she said.

She also said city officials need to get a report from Duke Energy once all the power has been restored because they need to understand the various areas of the city that were the worst affected.

A new solid waste hauler has been through the city many times, and city officials estimate they have 100,000 cubic yards of debris to remove.

Though city officials are using Highlander Park to temporarily store debris, it will be taken to the landfill as soon as possible, said City Manager Jennifer Bramley.

Bramley also said the city never lost potable water, and the wastewater plant was not damaged.

Commissioner John Tornga said there was a lot of rain, and a huge water basin is located between Clearwater and Palm Harbor with creeks.

"We need to make sure we are keeping them as free as possible," Tornga said. "I think we need to focus on some of the basic things that might help us even this year or the beginning of next year before we get all this taken care of."

Marina hit hard The bulkhead at the marina buckled and there are other signs of buckling, Bramley said.

"Tragic to see it. It really is," she said.

City officials' priority was to secure the marina to make sure it was safe. Next steps are to get professional help with repairs at the marinas. They have engineers on staff, but the damage is beyond their purview, Bramley said.

When they have more information about making repairs to the marina, a workshop with the commission should be held, she said.

The Dunedin Boat Club had a very serious hit on the roof, the floor and other areas.

"We did have a report on the condition of the boat club after Helene, but now we need to have an assessment of the condition after Milton as well," Bramley said.

Bujalski asked if there can be a report holistically on the marina area, the boat club, the pier, the marina and the park.

"Because you really do have to look at the whole thing," Bujalski said.

"Absolutely," Bramley said.

Other hurricane topics Bramley and staff members plan to put together a clear path pertaining to code compliance.

"Because as you know in a state of emergency like this, once we let that genie out of the bottle, it will take years to put it back in," Bramley said.

Commissioner Robert Walker discussed the implementation of access to mental health resources because of the storms.

As a strong proponent of veteran affairs, Walker said, he can speak to the post-traumatic stress disorder aspects in a wide range from major disasters to combat.

"I can tell you it's real, and the fact we are taking care of our employees through this event. It was devastating; it was horrific. I want to make sure our employees are being taken care of because you guys have been out there," Walker said.

Donation sites

The city has opened the Community Center at 1920 Pinehurst Road as a donation distribution site, which will provide essential items to residents affected by the hurricanes. Donations will be available Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until closing hours.

VFW Post 2550, at 360 Douglas Ave., is collecting and donating hurricane relief supplies.

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