Monday, Jun. 29, 2009

Lack of help dismays tornado victims in O'Fallon

City cites limitations; residents want more

O'FALLON -- Some residents in the Glenview subdivision in O'Fallon are upset the city didn't do more to help the ongoing cleanup efforts following a tornado on June 8. But city officials say helping is too costly and a liability for the city.

Homes along Carr, Caroline and St. Clair streets suffered major roof and tree damage in the storm, which damaged more than 100 buildings in O'Fallon, Shiloh and Mascoutah.

Amanda Knerrer said her property on Caroline Street was severely damaged and she was upset O'Fallon did not offer any assistance.

"O'Fallon did nothing," Knerrer said. "The City of O'Fallon did not come out to lift a finger. The only thing (city workers) did was walk around to see the damage and let people know to come up and purchase a building permit (to demolish structures)."

Director of Public Works Dennis Sullivan said the city's policy is to only help remove storm debris within the right of way.

The policy is a result of overall cost, an attempt to limit interference with private enterprise, increased insurance liability, and a contract with Waste Management to pick up bundled tree limbs up to 4 inches in diameter, Sullivan said.

"We found the last time we had a really, really big storm (in 2006) that for the city to come by and pick it up it just kills us with man-hours," Sullivan said. "In the meantime the grass still needs to be mowed and we don't get around to the things we need to do. Of course, that doesn't make the average person happy."

Michelle Herrera, of Caroline Street, said she expected more assistance from the city, especially in light of the help the village of Shiloh provided residents.

"I think it's pretty rotten we are a much larger city than Shiloh, we collect more taxes, and we cannot provide the same services," Herrera said. "I pay taxes and my streets aren't taken care of. Yet the itty-bitty town of Shiloh can offer their town the service. Our neighborhood was hit just as hard and we didn't receive any help."

"This is nothing new -- our neighborhood always gets neglected," she said. "We are probably one of the oldest neighborhoods in O'Fallon, but when it comes to plowing our streets in the winter or something like this, we are the last to be taken care of if we are taken care of at all."

Sullivan said the mayor and City Council may authorize his department to offer more help to residents, but noted past help has not always been well received.

"We came to the conclusion we didn't have the ability to fully help so we might as well limit our disaster response to the right of way," Sullivan said. "Even when we picked up the limbs residents dragged into the street after the last storm, some residents were not happy with the city's services. There's no end for the thirst of city services in this area."

Ruth Knerrer, Amanda Knerrer's mother-in-law, said she was "teed off" because she missed two days of work to help clean her neighbors' homes and her own home on St. Clair Street. She said she believes the city would have reacted quicker had the subdivision included more expensive homes.

"I think it is an out-and-out shame the way they treat us," Ruth Knerrer said. "The city of O'Fallon is supposed to be for the community, and we are part of the community whether they want to realize it or not. I'm really, really disappointed in the city of O'Fallon.

"All they want to do is take from you and they don't give anything back. They built that (roundabout) but they can't come out here with a crew and truck? Something is wrong with the city's management."

Mayor Gary Graham brought pizza to the residents of Glenview subdivision the night of the storm, but some residents said the friendly gesture left a bad taste in their mouths.

"I was grateful for the pizza, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't compensate for the fact that we needed more help than a box of pizza," Ruth Knerrer said.