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PALMETTO, Fla. — Manatee County crews are hard at work to finish the last of the debris removal work orders, and say all the canal and drainage system debris removal jobs are expected to be completed by next month.
County officials say they started with more than 700 jobs on the list, and now it is down to just a few dozen.
What You Need To Know
- Manatee County crews are hard at work to finish the last of the county’s debris removal work orders
- With initially more than 700 jobs on the list, they’re down to just under 80 left to complete
- County officials say they anticipate being completed with all canal debris removal work by the middle of next month
Michael Vickers knows it takes more than heavy lifting and heavy machinery to get the job done.
A member of the Manatee County stormwater maintenance team, he said getting things done requires teamwork.
“Our hand communications and communication skills is what we use to be able to let the operator know, ‘Hey, you may need to swing around or you might be better to come this way,’” he said. “Our biggest thing is we try to do it as safe as possible.”
Vickers has been doing this job for the county for about four years, but said the work is second nature to him.
“This is a part of the Florida life,” he said. “I grew up on a farm cutting trees down, and it’s what I’m passionate about the most. I know what I’m doing, and I’m good at it.”
On this day, the crew was clearing fallen trees and removing other debris from an area of Palmetto west of U.S. 41 to prevent upstream flooding during a storm.
“A lot of people think that we worry about the amount of water that comes through here,” Vickers said. “What we actually worry about is the flow at which it leaves. So being able to clear out anything that can grab, hold and create blockages is what our biggest concern is.”
Next month will mark a year since the county began its canal and drainage debris clearing process.
They started with big jobs like Gamble Creek and Braden River.
With initially about 700 jobs on the list, they’re down to just under 80 left to complete.
“We are in a lot better shape this year right now than we were last — you know, even six months ago,” Vickers said. “The systems that we’ve got, most of the majors have been cleaned out at this point, and most of the minor canals have been cleaned. And we are ready for the storm season.”
As a 17th-generation Floridian, Vickers said he understands the storm season well, and knows what needs to be done to stay ahead of any storm.
“I love doing this,” he said.
County officials say they expect all canal debris removal work to be done by the middle of next month.
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Julia Hazel
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