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City of Jefferson looking for volunteers

JEFFERSON (MCT) — The City of Jefferson is still looking for volunteers to help collect about a quarter of a million sandbags that were used to hold back the Rock and Crawfish rivers during this summer’s flooding.

About 100 volunteers joined the Public Works Department, John’s Pick-up Service and the Jefferson County Highway Department to stack sandbags onto pallets today.

Alderman Bill Brandel said the sandbag pick up is going pretty well, but the city will still need volunteers Sunday. “I have a feeling some of the volunteers today are going to be too pooped out and worn out to work tomorrow,” he said.

Residents who were able were asked to stack sandbags on wooden pallets were distributed throughout the city. The pallets can be later picked up with heavy equipment and trucked away.

“There are some areas where it’s difficult to get in with equipment, so there’s a chain of human beings” moving the sandbags, Brandel said.

The Rock and Crawfish rivers are both about 7 inches above flood stage but are slowly receding.

“The hope is by the end of the day tomorrow we’d have all of the sandbags that aren’t on pallets at least picked up from the residential areas,” Brandel said. “There are some parts of the city areas, like the water treatment plant, that can wait, and that’s something crews can do as they have time.”

For now, the sandbags will be stacked and stored on city property until the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the county and the emergency government unit can make a decision on permanent disposal. The sandbags absorbed contaminated water, so “you can’t use them in the kids’ sandboxes,” Brandel said.

People interested in volunteering can call (920) 674-7700 or just show up at Jefferson City Hall, which will have coffee and donuts, along with gloves and other equipment. Volunteers should wear work boots. The Lions Club is providing lunch for volunteers today, and Toppers Pizza will provide lunch Sunday.