BREAKING NEWS: OWATONNA DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY
Owatonna has been declared a state of emergency after Monday night’s storm damage.
On Tuesday, city officials signed Resolution 37-25, which is expected to be fully ratified by the City Council at its Aug. 6 meeting. The resolution is needed to access funding to help with storm damage. Emergency response efforts are being coordinated with Steele County.
City staff began assessing storm damage early Tuesday. Crews were promptly reassigned to devote resources to clearing storm debris from streets, parks, trails and public property. Arrangements were made to provide temporary curbside pick-up for storm-related debris. City crews will pick up storm-damaged limbs and trunks of any diameter including those from private property in Owatonna. Branches must be trimmed from trunks and trunks must be under eight feet long. This debris must be stacked parallel to the curb to ensure efficient and safe pick-up. It can be placed there by property owners or the contractors they hire. Other types of debris will not be picked up.
The City is partnering with By the Yard compost facility at 400 32nd Ave. W., to address storm debris removal within City limits. Fees will be temporarily waived for storm-related debris dropped off at the compost facility. Please visit owatonna.gov or call 507-475-4385 for additional information.
As community members address storm damage on private property, they are asked to keep leaves and branches from streets where debris can clog stormwater drains.
