Jeff Whitten, Correspondent.

Bryan County Commissioners approved three related measures during a brief called meeting Tuesday in Richmond Hill to help move ahead on debris cleanup after Tropical Storm Helene.

While the extent of the damage from the Sept. 27 storm is still unclear, the measures – including one extension of a contract in place since 2021 -- mean debris pickup from the storm should begin by the end of the week or early next week, and could take as long as a month to complete, County Commission Chairman Carter Infinger said.

The contract extension involves the company which will do the actual cleanup, Sarasota-based Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. Ceres was first hired by Bryan County in September 2021 to provide disaster cleanup. That contract, which was to expire Monday, was extended through March 2025.

Commissioners also approved a pair of contracts with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, a regional engineering and architectural firm with an office in Savannah. GMC will monitor the storm cleanup by Ceres and help the county provide documentation to FEMA in its effort to recoup costs.

“If we had to go out and hire people to come down here and do this, it could have taken us weeks to find somebody,” Infinger said. “This allows us to activate our debris plan and we can get started as soon as possible. It keeps the ball rolling.”

Commissioners earlier hired GMC to study its response to Tropical Storm Debby, and under the new agreements the company will “ensure efficient and compliant debris removal operations, which are crucial for public safety and recovery efforts,” as well as provide “comprehensive disaster recovery services” which include “managing, administering, and supporting the recovery of costs and benefits under (FEMA’s) recovery programs,” according to Bryan County.

GMA will charge on a per hour basis, and will be paid in monthly installments. Meanwhile, the contract with Ceres shows a 3 percent increase in the amount which will be charged to Bryan County, which in turn through GMC will seek FEMA funding to cover the cost.

Infinger said inflation led to the increase in the rate paid to Ceres, which charges by the job based on amount and type of debris removed and either taken to approved dump sites or recycled.

For example, removing a single hazard tree will cost anywhere from $46.35 to $247.20, depending on size. Ceres charges $25.75 per “unit” to remove Freon from white goods such as refrigerators and air conditioners.

Infinger noted the county previously relied entirely on mutual aid from other counties and state agencies for help with debris removal, but in 2021 decided to request qualifications from companies and find a contractor to do the job because it was a better deal for the county.

“We look at this all the time,” Infinger said. “It’s called planning.”