DEARBORN — A much needed trash sweep on Saturday, August 30 dramatically reduced the amount of flood damaged items that had been stacked on curbsides and front lawns, following a heavy rainstorm that flooded thousands of basements last month. 

The city had alerted residents two days prior to the sweep, informing them to place all of their flood damaged items for pick-up in front of their homes. Many residents had grown impatient as trash and blight began to overcrowd neighborhoods.

Mayor Jack O’Reilly announced last week that the city had contracted with Rizzo Environmental Services, along with the city’s already existing contractor, Republic Services, to help with the trash pick-ups.

Dearborn Police also assisted in the blitz, urging residents to move their vehicles off streets in order to make room for more than 100 trucks to drive through the neighborhoods. 

In the days following the Aug. 11 flood, the city’s DPW worked around the clock to pick up as much trash as possible. However, the extent of the damage seemed more severe than the city had expected. Some residents had complained to the city that their trash had not been picked up for weeks.

Rafic Bazzi, who lives on Moross Street in east Dearborn, said he placed his flood-damaged items on his curbside two days after the rainstorm, but the garbage was not picked up until last week. 

Bazzi added that the trucks that were supposed to pick up regular trash didn’t even make their way through. He attempted to contact the city and was told to be patient. Councilman Mike Sareini had even come to his street to take photos of the staggering trash. 

“I didn’t see any trucks in my area until last week,” Bazzi told The Arab American News. “Nothing was even picked up, not even the regular trash. They were telling me it wasn’t a priority.” 

However, following Saturday’s blitz, Bazzi said the conditions of his neighborhood have become “much better” and that he’s looking forward to resume living on a street that meets the standards of Dearborn. 

According to Mary Laundroche, head of the city’s Department of Public Information, the trash trucks that drove through Dearborn’s neighborhoods last Saturday were efficient enough to finish ahead of schedule. 

“They were supposed to stay in the city as long as possible, but they were so efficient that they were done by 10 a.m. in west Dearborn, and by 1:30 p.m. in east Dearborn,” Laundroche said. 

According to Laundroche, 88 trucks drove through the city’s east side neighborhoods, while 38 trucks tackled those on the west side. The trucks were divided east and west of Greenfield Rd. 

The DPW will continue monitoring neighborhoods and picking up left over trash. Last week the city had reported that it had spent close to $1.1 million following the floods in an attempt to remove trash from the neighborhoods. That number is expected to increase following Saturday’s blitz. 

Dearborn City Council President Susan Dabaja told The Arab American News that she empathizes with residents in Dearborn who are still recovering in the aftermath of the floods. Dabaja said her own relatives were impacted by the floods as well.

“I sympathize with the frustration that many have faced in light of this tremendous storm,” Dabaja said. “My family, like many others across the region, were also affected. The trash that was put out across the city as a result of the storm was certainly a top priority for all of us on council, but due to the number of homes affected, the cleanup process was an arduous and extensive task. We utilized all of the resources available to us in order to efficiently clean up our city.”

Dabaja added that she heard residents’ concerns on a daily basis following the floods and that she and other city council members would relay the message from the community and back to the mayor’s office. 

 “This past Saturday, the city did a great job in utilizing both public and contracted services to make sure every home in the city had their curb freed from any flood-damaged debris,” she said. “I really want to thank the residents for their continued patience and for all of the feedback that we have received. As residents, we take pride in our homes and neighborhoods and together we proved that even in the face of Mother Nature’s storms, Dearborn is the best city to live in.”

The city has also been utilizing the DPW’s junk yard, located at 2951 Greenfield, south of Rotunda Drive near I-94. Following the floods, the yard has extended its hours to allow residents to dump flood-damaged items there. 

The yard will extend its hours on Saturday, September 6, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow residents to bring more flood damaged items. Afterwards, the yard will return to its normal hours of operations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. 

Residents who have not had the their flood-damaged trash picked up can still call the sanitation division at 313.943.2433 to schedule a pick-up.