Public Works outlines staffing, fleet and street plans; asks council to keep pages open for budget work

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Public Works officials detailed personnel additions and capital equipment needs Thursday as part of the 2026 budget review, citing recruitment challenges for mechanics, aging fleet components and expanding downtown maintenance responsibilities.

Mister Poluti presented the Public Works administration and operations pages and highlighted several modest operating increases tied to city-hall maintenance and higher electricity costs. Central Garage staffing drew sustained attention: commissioners said recruiting mechanics had been difficult and the personnel line increased significantly to reflect newly filled positions and negotiated raises. "Vehicles, vehicle parts, it's expensive. The cost just keeps going up and up and up," Poluti said when explaining higher equipment and repair costs.

Officials recommended buying rather than continuing to lease certain equipment after successful trials (for example, a roller purchased after a favorable lease experience). They flagged the department's plotter as needing replacement in roughly five years and requested continued funding for testing, environmental services and training required by DEC and OSHA for construction inspections.

Street maintenance changes include adding a worker who now focuses on downtown cleanup (expanding coverage to Clinton Street and parts of Main Street), and increased crack-sealing and weed-control work in business districts. Snow-removal and sanitation lines reflect expected overtime tied to storms, events and contractual overtime obligations; salt and fuel cost uncertainty prompted modest line increases. Sanitation staff discussed enforcement and education around trash-in-containers (rather than loose bags) and agreed to coordinate mailers and social-media notices to improve compliance and reduce repeat pickups.

Capital requests include replacement of aging sweepers, a tractor for the transfer-trailer, two plow-and-dump trucks, and a new skid steer; staff said some vehicles are at the point where parts are difficult to find and replacement is prudent. Several projects funded through shared agreements (including a Broome County facility) remain under negotiation and staff said they would return with clearer invoices and cost-sharing data.

Council left the Public Works pages open for further review and asked staff to return with a capital project status chart and more precise lifecycle estimates for fleet assets.