MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2009 11:11 am

The clean up from the Good Friday Tornado may cost Murfreesboro almost $6.5 million.

The EF-4 tornado, which torn through north Murfreesboro Friday, April 10, left a 23.5-mile path of damage that destroyed or damaged 802 homes in Murfreesboro alone.

City Manager Roger Haley reported on the cost of the clean up to Murfreesboro City Council Thursday night.

The cost of clean up, an estimated $6,455,698, includes disposing of debris, damage to the electrical grid, emergency services and other city services.

“Virtually every department in this city put forth an effort that has been recognized by FEMA,” Haley said, adding a former Federal Emergency Management Agency employee said he had never seen “a better, faster, more organized, controlled response by a local government.”

During and immediately following the tornado, the city fielded between 800-900 emergency calls, Haley said.

In the days following the tornado, city departments, along with 15 private contractors, removed more than 21 million pounds of debris from the tornado’s path. That total doesn’t count what individual volunteers removed from damaged homes and businesses.

“It was as though someone had called earlier in the day and told us there would be a tornado and to get ready,” Councilman David Edwards said.

Gov. Phil Bredesen filed these numbers with FEMA on Tuesday, when he asked for Rutherford and other counties affected by the severe weather to be declared a federal disaster area.

If the county is declared a disaster area, the city and county can be reimbursed for a majority of the clean-up costs and residents can qualify for low-interest loans to rebuild from the federal government.

Other council business:
- Unanimously approved on first reading an ordinance to lessen restrictions on the city’s restrictive sign laws.

The ordinance will allow automated changeable copy signs, but electronic LED-style and multi-vision signs will still be prohibited under the proposed changes.

- Approved on first reading an ordinance amending Murfreesboro City Code Section dealing with attached and ground signs.

- Approved on third and final reading to annex an area located north of Joe B. Jackson Parkway and to adopt for same a Plan of Services

- Approved on third and final reading to zone an area located north of Joe B. Jackson Parkway as Light Industrial (L-I) District, simultaneous with annexation.

- Approved on third and final reading to rezone approximately 20.28 acres from Boxwood Plantation Planned Development south of Salem Pike to Single-Family Residential Fifteen (RS-15) District.

- Approved on third and final reading to rezone an area located on the corner of East Sevier Street and South Highland Avenue to Single-Family Residential Four (RS-4) District.

- Approved on first reading to annex an area located on the northwestern corner of Halls Hill Pike and Twin Oak Drive and to adopt for same a Plan of Services.

- Approved on first reading to zone an area located on the northwestern corner of Halls Hill Pike and Twin Oak Drive as Commercial Fringe (CF) District, simultaneous with annexation.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.