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 Tuesday afternoon, March 17.
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.
"We did not receive any RFPs for the debris removal nor the debris monitoring," Dr. George said. "I looked up something thing about how we could possible move forward if you would like me to discuss that."
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 Monday, 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.
A representative from Dynamic Group 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.
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.
Piles of storm debris remain curbside in the city. | Photo by Adam Prestridge © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
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 Sunday night.
During 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 approve $35,000 to be paid 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 funding request, 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.
