City Help and Information

City of Washington will host a public meeting Thursday, December 5 at 7:15 p.m. at Crossroads Chapel. Please plan to attend for updates. • Volunteers. Help is still needed. If you are 18 years of age or older and would like to help, call 309-698-5002 to register. Groups may call 309-698-5003 to register. Residents in need of volunteer assistance should contact 309-698-5001. • FEMA. Everyone impacted by the tornado must register with FEMA. Even if you had insurance, please register for grants and low-interest loans. Call 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) or visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov to apply for disaster assistance. • Water. Washington Public Works staff recommends that if displaced residents are able to safely enter their home, please turn off water at the main shut off inside your home. • Building permits. City of Washington staff will be at the library at Five Points daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday to issue building permits for residents in affected areas. • Debris removal. Washington city leaders will not abandon our residents and all debris on right-of-way will eventually be removed by the city. However, with assistance of their insurance companies, homeowners should make efforts to clear as much debris as possible. Please place dumpsters on your property (not on the street or public right-of-way) at least 10 feet away from the back of the curb and at least 10 feet away from fire hydrants. It is imperative to keep debris out of the road as it can impact emergency response vehicles’ response time. • Large appliances, electronics, hazardous materials, and vegetative waste. These items should be separated: o Large appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines. These must be sealed shut. o Electronics, including TVs and computers. These must be set on the curbside. o Hazardous materials. These must be set in a safe location, away from the road and not near a drain. o Vegetative debris must be clean and removed of insulation and construction materials. Tree limbs must be cut to six feet in length or less. • Scams and Complaints. If you get a call from someone requesting personal information, this is a scam. Please contact law enforcement at 309-444-2313 or the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 847-417-4893 to report. Contractor complaint information is also available at http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/homerepair_construction.html. To file an insurance complaint, contact the Illinois Insurance Department’s Consumer Assistance Team at 866-445-5364 or https://insurance.illinois.gov/applications/ComplaintForms. • Parking ban. A parking ban for the affected areas is in effect from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. until further notice. • Burn ban. A burn ban remains in effect for Washington Township until further notice. Absolutely no burning is allowed. Individuals violating the burn ban may be charged with a petty offense and fined. • Power. Contact Ameren at 800-755-5000 with questions about your service or to cancel service. • Fact Sheet. Updated information will be available at Washington City Hall, Washington Post Office, Washington Police Department, Five Points Washington, American Red Cross HERVs and the Disaster Recovery Center (when announced). Also electronically at http://www.ci.washington.il.us/ and http://www.facebook.com/CentralIllinoisEmergencyInformation.