Advice for St. Charles County residents affected by the May 31 storm

Info below posted June 3, 2013, on www.sccmo.org
Press Contact: Colene McEntee, Public Affairs Coordinator, 636.949.1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org  

St. Charles County, Missouri – As of June 3, assessments by St. Charles County indicate that 350 homes sustained major damage, with 45-50 homes of these homes condemned, and 250 with moderate damage, due to the May 31 storm.

St. Charles County’s number one concern is safety for the affected residents, along with cleaning up the storm damage, helping residents get back into their homes, and making sure that residents are not scammed in the recovery process. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and County departments and staff would like to provide the following information for County residents affected by the storm.

Debris from Downed Trees:
• St. Charles County Highway Department’s first priority is to pick up trees and limbs in unincorporated impacted areas East of Highway 94, North of Highway 40/61, South of Friedens Rd., and along Arena Pkwy including Pralle Ln. Otherwise, Highway Department crews will follow County snow routes adjacent to the defined area, but it may take a week or more until they reach those areas. Residents in the impacted areas should bring the tree and limb debris to the curb; also, residents do not need to schedule pickup nor do they need to bag the debris, and there is no set schedule for when crews will reach particular streets, subdivisions, etc. For questions, please call the St. Charles County Highway Department at 636.949.7305.

• Please do not mix yard waste and tree limbs with household/construction debris such as shingles and siding. Consult with your local trash disposal service for questions about household/construction debris removal. If yard waste and tree debris is mixed with household/construction debris, none of the debris will be picked up.

• For residents in the storm affected area who have been helping out by taking their own tree debris to the Highway Department facilities on 3890 Greens Bottom Rd. - please be aware there is flooding on Greens Bottom 1/2 mile from Pitman Rd., so you must use Jungs Station Rd. to access the area. You may also take your tree debris to the Highway Department’s Weldon Spring site, 7101 Highway 94, south of Hwy 40/61. These facilities cannot accept commercial tree haulers due to space.

Nonelectrical Construction Debris:
• St. Charles County will be placing dumpsters in the hardest hit areas for nonelectrical construction debris.

Free Recycling of Electronics:
• St. Charles County’s Recycle Works Central, located at 60 Triad South Drive, St. Charles, MO 63304, will recycle damaged electronics for free June 5-15. For more information, call Recycle Works Central at 636.949.7900, ext. 4271. The City of St. Charles in sponsorship with WITS, Inc. is holding a free electronics recycling event on June 21 at the Family Arena, as well. For more information, call WITS at 314.558.0090 or visit the organization online at www.witsinc.org.

Hazards from Electrical Lines:
• Ameren Missouri is restoring service to the County neighborhoods affected by Friday night’s storms, but your own electrical lines may still pose safety hazards.

• Loose electrical lines may be dangerous, and any electrical lines that were exposed to water must be replaced.

• In such cases, Ameren Missouri may disconnect meters until a contractor replaces or repairs the electrical lines that are loose or were exposed to water.

• For questions about electrical lines and services, call Ameren Missouri at 1.800.552.7583.

• Please contact a licensed contractor for any required work.

Licenses Required for Certain Contractors:
• If you are in the unincorporated part of St. Charles County – not located in municipal limits – please remember that the County’s ordinances require licenses for certain specialized contractors. These include electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors.

• Such licenses are issued by the Division of Building Code Enforcement. To confirm that a license is required or that a contractor has one, call the Division at 636.949.7345. Information is also available at www.sccmo.org under Departments – Community Development – Permits and Applications.

Permits Required for Structural and Electrical Repairs:
• If you are in the unincorporated part of St. Charles, County ordinances will require permits for structural and electrical repairs. These may be required for other repairs as well.

• Such permits are issued by the Division of Building Code Enforcement. Often, contractors will obtain such permits for the owners they work for, but the legal responsibility for getting those permits is the owners’.

• Owners may call the Division of Building Code Enforcement for more information or to confirm that permits have in fact been issued for their repairs. Please note that the contractor is not done with work until the final inspection has been approved. The Division’s number is 636.949.7345.

Permits Required for Door-to-Door Solicitation by Repair Contractors:
• Solicitors’ Permits: Outside the County’s municipalities, County ordinances require that solicitors have County licenses and show them to the residents they visit (some of the County’s municipalities have similar ordinances). Ask to see that license, or you may call the Office of the County Registrar at 636.949.7560 to learn whether a solicitor’s license was issued to the person or company seeking your business.

• Merchants’ Licenses: Throughout the County, merchants who sell at retail or wholesale must have merchants’ licenses. Repair contractors who sell materials and collect sales tax on the sale must have such licenses, which are issued by the County’s Department of Finance. Residents may ask to see that license, or contact the County’s Department of Finance to confirm that a merchant has one. The Department’s number is 636.949.7465.

General Suggestions/Items of Note:
• Please note that St. Charles County building inspectors will have picture I.D.’s. It is advisable for residents to request to see this I.D. before letting an individual inspect their home.

• Though many contractors are reputable some are the “storm-chasers” that Missouri’s Attorney General has warned Missourians against: http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2013/AG_Koster_warns_consumers_scams_tornados_StLouisArea/

• Feel free to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1.800.392.8222 with concerns, or to consult the Better Business Bureau by calling 314.645.3300.

• St. Charles County is still asking that people stay away from affected areas to allow crews to respond to the damage. If citizens come across any hazards, please call 911.

• The St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department is providing security for the affected areas.

Assistance and Volunteer Opportunities:
• Those who need assistance or wish to volunteer to help with the storm cleanup should call United Way's 211 from a landline phone or call 1.800.427.4626 from a mobile phone.

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