Volunteers are expressing frustration with landfill fees as they rush to restore order.
KERRVILLE, Texas — It’s a sorrowful symphony that’s playing over miles of Guadalupe River territory.
The whine of chain saws competes with the roar of machines struggling to bring order to chaos.
Everywhere, workers are throwing their brawn and their hearts into restoration of what has been a natural sanctuary for generations.
They are sorting through piles of vegetation and muck, shattered homes and smashed vehicles.
The urge to make things better is strong for many.
Ricky Wendeborn is one member of that volunteer army.
Wendeborn said he is frustrated that with so many people working so furiously, for free, disposal rates at the Kerrville landfill have not been adjusted to accommodate the need.
“We are paying full price for it when we have people out here volunteering for everything,” Wendeborn said.
Wendeborn, who said he is taking time from his business and family to help, said the costs have added up quickly.
“We’ve probably done 40 or 50 loads and it doesn’t seem like we’ve touched the tip of the iceberg,” Wendeborn said, adding that the posted price at the Republic Services landfill is $92.50 per ton.
Danny Stone who brought his cleanup effort to the heavily damaged Water Front Drive area near the Veterans Memorial Highway bridge over the Guadalupe River, said “I really feel like the city shouldn’t charge nothing for dumping this right now. This is a disaster that is caused by the water.”
Stone echoed the sentiments of many: “I really feel it’s just my opinion that we should be able to dump for free if anything.”
Because many of those mostly deeply impacted are elderly and on fixed incomes, Stone said relief from landfill fees is vital.
“This is not something the homeowners incurred on their own and if anything it should be discounted,” Stone said.
Stone said city leaders should work to come up with a plan to have FEMA or another agency reimburse the expenses.
“Right now, we’re doing it out of our own expense. We already have the expense of bringing the dumpsters in and we’re not charging the homeowners at all,” Stone said, adding “except for the dump fee they have to pay.”
“We’re doing our part as individuals and I feel like the city could do their part,” Stone said, adding “At this time of need we should all be pulling together and put the finances aside and let people dump.”
Stone said, “If we don’t dump it now it will stay here and rot and smell.”
KENS 5 reached out to Kerrville city officials by phone and by email, asking about possible solutions.
We’ve had no response but recovery efforts are on the agenda for a special meeting of city council at 8am Monday.
Republic Services, the company that operates the Kerrville landfill, shared the following statement:
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating floods in Central Texas. We are actively working with the City of Kerrville on plans for debris management and are standing by to assist Kerr County after search and recovery operations conclude.
While recovery efforts are continuing, authorities request that residents and volunteers refrain from removing any debris until it has been inspected by search teams.
We encourage residents and volunteers to coordinate with city and county cleanup initiatives once plans are finalized, allowing them to benefit from federal and/or state disaster recovery arrangements rather than incurring standard landfill fees.
To assist our customers, we have increased operations, but there are still routes we cannot safely reach. We will resume service to those locations once it is safe to do so.
Republic Services Media Relations”