Debris will continue to pile up curbside after the Grenada City Council received no bids to complete storm debris removal and monitoring services during a Zoom meeting last Tuesday afternoon.
City Manager Dr. Trina George informed Councilmembers that the city had not received any responses to its requests for proposals (RFPs) for the work. The Council then voted to officially close the RFP process and instead declare emergency procurement, allowing Dr. George to directly solicit quotes and negotiate contracts for debris removal and monitoring services.
Dynamic Group, the Baton Rouge, La.-based company that was based in Grenada for a month and a half immediately following Winter Storm Fern and removed debris in the city on and off during that time, chose not to bid following the indecisiveness of the Council related to funding.
Following a March 3 Special-Called Council Meeting, Kevin Breaux, Director of Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery for Dynamic, said that his crews were only able to work 15 of the 30 days awarded to his company as part of the 30-day Emergency Contract — which expired on March 14 — due to funding constraints.
“I am truly sorry for what has happened to this amazing town,” Breaux said last week after learning that no RFPs had been received. “I strive on solving problems and taking care of those in need. It is truly heartbreaking to me that we were unable to accomplish this mission, which we would have completed in less than 30 days if we were allowed to do what was needed.”
Large piles of debris — like this one on Mound Street — line curbs throughout the City of Grenada.| Photo by Adam Prestridge © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Breaux added that he kept his crews in town during this time, which were forced to stand idly by in local hotels while city officials attempted to resolve its hesitant funding issues.
“I hope the best for the City of Grenada,” Breaux concluded. “My 45 days there gave me a true understanding of what community means as I witnessed it each and every day that I traveled the streets talking to individuals. I just like taking care of people. It’s the reason why I remain in disaster service after 28 years of military service.”
At the recommendation of Grenada County Emergency Management Director Chris Whitehurst, Dr. George suggested that the current RFP process be closed, which was motioned by Ward 4 Councilman Michael D. Smith, seconded by Ward 6 Councilwoman Lori Chavis and passed unanimously. A separate motion to declare the emergency procurement was made by Ward 3 Councilman Lewis Johnson, seconded by Councilwoman Chavis and also passed unanimously.
The Council also voted to pay Dynamic Group $497,991.81 for debris removal work previously completed, exhausting the $500,000 cap set for its services. In addition, Councilmembers approved payment of $60,000 — the entire set cap — to DebrisTech for monitoring services, even though the company’s total charges exceeded $80,000.
City Attorney Mary Brown advised that the Council reconvene once Dr. George obtains quotes to set new pricing caps for both debris removal and monitoring.
The most recent developments followed discussion during the regular Council meeting on March 9, when city leaders again considered increasing the spending cap for Dynamic Group. That decision was tabled during the previous special-called Zoom meeting held earlier in March.
Breaux also addressed the Council at the March 9 meeting, informing members that work crews had been “pulled” from the area after debris removal operations ceased and no decision was made to continue. He added that the company could not return to Grenada before this week to resume work, which would be after the emergency declaration had expired.
Kevin Breaux, Director of Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery for Dynamic Group, addresses the Council. | Photo by Adam Prestridge © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
The Council, along with City Attorney Brown, also went into Executive Session that evening to review three matters, one of which involved potential litigation related to DebrisTech, the debris monitoring firm. No information was made available to the nature of the possible lawsuit or any action taken.
The ongoing delays followed multiple meetings held since Winter Storm Fern coated Grenada County in ice in late January, leaving widespread debris throughout the city. Councilmembers have convened at least 10 times to address emergency cleanup contracts, associated funding and FEMA reimbursement guidelines.
Despite those efforts, about 56 percent of the debris-removal work remains unfinished as of mid-March.
During a series of special-called meetings the first week of March, the Council repeatedly tabled motions to increase contract caps for Dynamic Group and DebrisTech, leaving both companies’ funding nearly depleted or more than the set caps. FEMA is expected to reimburse the city 75 percent of eligible cleanup costs, with MEMA and the city splitting the remaining 25 percent.
City Clerk Angela Edwards previously assured the Council that sufficient funding — roughly $1.4 million — was available in city accounts, noting that an additional $1.5 million in property tax revenue had been collected beyond the 2026 budget estimate.
Even so, a few members led by Councilman Johnson, expressed concern about spending limits and the need to preserve a financial cushion for future emergencies.
In the meantime, fallen limbs and debris from Winter Storm Fern continue to line roadsides, prompting renewed frustration from residents, which are also now dealing with additional storm debris from high wind damage associated with severe thunderstorms that passed through the area last Sunday night.
During last Tuesday afternoon’s Zoom meeting, the Council also voted to pay $27,259 to A&B Construction for emergency repairs made to water/sewer generators, which were repaired during the ice storm.
In unrelated business, the City Council also voted to donate $35,000 to the Grenada Day Committee for its festival scheduled for Sept. 5, at the Grenada Municipal Airport. Councilman Johnson made the motion to approve the requested funding, which was seconded by Ward 2 Councilman Fredreick “Pete” Wilson. Councilwoman Chavis was the lone vote in opposition. Ward 7 Councilman Ronald J. Merriman was not in attendance for the meeting.
Last Wednesday, another Special-Called Council Meeting was held via Zoom where it was unanimously approved a new Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency, which has to be renewed every 30 days “until this local emergency is no longer in effect and is declared terminated by the City Council of Grenada in the State of Mississippi,” according to Dr. George. Councilwoman Chavis made the motion, which was seconded by Ward 1 Councilman Warren B. Cox.
