Macon-Bibb sets end date for Irma debris pickup, offers free mulch to residents

Tropical Storm Irma debris should be placed on Macon-Bibb County curbs by Sunday as collections wrap up in Macon-Bibb County.

The county is targeting Jan. 16 as the final day for crews to collect remnants of trees blown over during the Sept. 11 storm. Starting Monday, the county is also offering people a chance to pick up mulch at one of its temporary debris sites.

"We’re nearing the end of collecting Irma debris, and the piles we’re now starting to see are regular yard waste piles,” Solid Waste Director Kevin Barkley said in a release. “There are still some streets and neighborhoods that need Irma debris collection, but we’ll be collecting fresh piles as part of our regular routes going forward.”

Macon-Bibb officials are asking residents with piles of uncollected Irma debris to file reports at the Emergency Management Agency at 478-832-6300 or EMA@maconbibb.us or by visiting the county's SeeClickFix website.

There's been well over 83,000 cubic yards of debris collected in the county since Oct. 12.

Here's what you need to know about collecting mulch:

* Pickup sites: Public Works Department, 4520 Knight Road, or the former animal shelter, 1000 Eleventh St;

* Must be picked up 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays through Jan. 26;

* Must have a personal truck or trailer to pick it up. Commercial trucks or businesses are not allowed to get mulch;

* Bring a shovel;

* The mulch is a "rough cut," so its use is limited.

There are instructions that Macon-Bibb residents should follow for curbside pickup:

* Do not put parts of tree debris in trash cans;

* Limbs, branches and tree trunks should be cut into pieces that are no longer than 4 feet in length and placed at the curb;

* Tree trunks should be separated into their own piles;

* Leaves and pine straw should be placed inside garbage bags.

Stanley Dunlap, 478-744-4623

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Macon-Bibb sets end date for Irma debris pickup, offers free mulch to residents."