2020 Winter Storm Recovery Update Number 3

On Monday, October 26, Governor Stitt declared a State of Emergency for 47 counties, including Oklahoma County. Following is the third update from the City of Midwest City regarding our storm recovery efforts.

Tree Trimming in Public Areas

We continue working to remove hazardous branches and broken or hanging limbs over public right-of-way, in our public parks, walking trails and our golf courses. We expect this work to last at least two more weeks. The crews will have to close some drives or parking lots and will be moving from the west side of town to the east, mile by mile. We understand this will be frustrating if you are trying to access our parks, certain streets or your property, but it is required for the crews to get to the areas that need to be accessed for trimming. Thank you for your patience during this process.

Removal of Storm-related Vegetative Debris

On Monday, November 9 crews started the first of two passes picking up storm-related vegetative debris (branches, bushes, shrubs) in residential areas. The crews started on the east side of our city and will work toward the west side in square mile quadrants.  Please review the important reminders below:

• Place your storm-related debris within 10 feet of your curb.
• Your tree limbs do not have to be cut to any specific length.
• Avoid placing it within five feet of your mailbox, electrical boxes, vehicles, gas meters, and any other objects.
• Avoid stacking your debris under large trees or under power lines.
• It is very important that you not place your debris on top of your water meter.
• Please do not stack any debris within 10 feet of a fire hydrant.
• Make sure you are not blocking the view of intersections with your stacks of debris.
• If you have more debris than will fit within 10 feet of your curb, crews will pick up as much debris as they can reach, then you can move the remaining debris to within 10 feet of the curb so the crews can get it on the second pass. Remember that the public easement is within 10 feet of your curb. The crews can remove debris on the public easement or right-of-way, but not on private property.

Other Disposal Options

Midwest City residents take tree limbs and other vegetative debris to the Compost Facility at 7420 NE 36th St.  The Compost Facility has changed its hours though the month of November to Monday – Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on holidays. No appointment is necessary. You must show proof of residency in Midwest City to use the facility. Bring your most recent utility bill and driver's license with matching address. (Please note that commercial vehicles and contractors cannot use the Compost facility. This service is for residential disposal only.) For more information, contact the Public Works department at 739-1066.

You can take yard waste, tree debris or construction and demolition debris to the East Oak Landfill at 3201 Mosley Road in Oklahoma City. Midwest City residents receive a significantly discounted rate at the landfill so make sure to take a copy of your most recent utility bill and your driver’s license with you as verification of your residency. The landfill is open six days a week.

You can find information about requesting burn permits on the Fire Department's section of the city's website. Please note that you cannot burn on a Red Flag Alert day.

Quarterly Curbside and Special Bulk Pick Up Suspended

All of our manpower and efforts will be focused on storm recovery for the next several weeks. Because of this, our quarterly curbside bulk collection program is temporarily suspended.

Free Pick Up for Zones 8-12

If you live in Quarterly Curbside Bulk Waste Zones 8-12 that have been suspended, and you have household bulky waste to be disposed of, you can call Public Works at 739-1066 to schedule a free pick-up. Please don’t mix your household waste with your storm-related vegetative debris or we cannot pick it up.  Please call us as soon as you can to get your special pick-up scheduled in advance. The final day to schedule a pick-up is December 4^th, but please call to get on the schedule as soon as you can.

You can find the 2020 Collection Map with the Zones at https://www.midwestcityok.org/publicworks/page/quarterly-curbside-bulk-pick

City Parks and Trails

We are discouraging residents from using city parks and trails due to falling tree limbs and tree debris.

Both golf courses are temporarily closed for safety issues due to tree limbs and debris from the ice storm. Please call before coming to either course to play.

Holiday Lights Spectacular Canceled

The annual Holiday Lights Spectacular animated light display in Joe B. Barnes Regional Park will be canceled this year due to the significant damage the city received during the ice storm last week.

There was substantial irreparable damage to trees in the park and to the light displays that had been installed prior to the storm. Additionally, the storm caused the city staff to lose two weeks for installation of the light displays, and the personnel that would be involved in the installation has been redirected to clean up efforts which is the city’s top priority.

Scammers

If you need to hire a contractor for tree services or property repairs, be wary of storm chasers who may knock on your door. They should have a peddler's permit from the City of Midwest City. The permit requires a background check but does not verify whether they have insurance or bonding.  A peddler’s permit can be obtained through the City’s customer service department during normal business hours.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit offers the following tips to avoid contractor fraud:

• Ask for referrals from people you trust and for references from contractors;
• Avoid fly-by-night companies and use local companies established in the community;
• Obtain written estimates from multiple contractors;
• Ensure roofers are registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board by calling (405) 521-6550 or check the online database at https://cib.ok.gov/are-they-licensed
• Be cautious of door-to-door solicitation, contractors who ask for a substantial up-front payment or request cash payment, use high pressure or aggressive sales tactics or resist the use of a written contract;
• Do not give out bank account information, social security or drivers license numbers;
• If contractors identify themselves with a federal or state government agency, ask for credentials and call the agency they claim to be with.   

For more information or to report a complaint, individuals are encouraged to contact the Consumer Protection Unit by phone (405) 521-2029, email at consumerprotection@oag.ok.gov or visit the consumer protection website at https://oag.ok.gov/consumer-protection and fill out an online complaint form.

OGE Power Restoration

OGE has asked us to share this information with our residents:

  1.  Please make sure pet, even friendly ones, are safely away from the backyard. If you have locked gates, including large field with cattle guards, etc, make sure all gates are unlocked so our crews can easily access the property and continue moving the restoration process forward.

  2.  Estimated time of restoration can be found by signing into your oge.com account OR by entering your address in the "Find a place" box in the upper right corner of our System Watch map.

  3.  If your weather head, service cable or meter socket is damaged, a certified electrician will need to make the necessary repairs before OGE can restore service to the property.

November 6, 2020