Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sanitation Snow Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sanitation outlines snow plan; residents press department on senior assistance and bin delivery
Summary
Sanitation described plowing operations, brining and GPS tracking and said enforcement windows exist for sidewalk clearance; multiple residents pressed the department about senior assistance, voucher/bin distribution and whether Home Depot delivers bulk bins.
The Department of Sanitation told the Richmond County board it has increased plow capacity and uses pre-treatment brine and GPS tracking to manage snow responses, but several residents used the meeting to press the department about senior assistance, ticketing and confusion around a voucher/bin distribution.
A sanitation presenter described operational planning: two 12-hour staffing shifts, about 2,000 plows and 700+ spreaders citywide, and a large salt inventory. The presenter said thresholds drive tactics: light accumulations prompt limited spreader use; heavier storms (4 inches or more, the presenter said) trigger full plow and spreader deployment and emergency crews.
"We start planning for the next year the day after the storm," the sanitation presenter said, describing year-round preparation and listing two Staten Island melt sites and local garages that support operations.
Sanitation said it uses brine on overpasses, hills and ramps and that a GPS system (presenter called it "Blade Runner") provides public visuals of plow locations and data on response times.
Residents raised multiple concerns. Several said senior residents and people with disabilities face barriers: one resident asked whether the city can use volunteer shovel teams for seniors or otherwise prevent tickets; another described a confusing voucher flyer and said Home Depot will not deliver the bulky bins listed on the flyer. The sanitation presenter said residents can contest tickets and the department aims to work with local offices and superintendents but said formal exemptions are limited. On the voucher/bin matter the record shows conflicting statements: one resident said the flyer indicated online ordering and no delivery; sanitation said residents can obtain refunds through the department and, in an exchange, initially said "Home Depot delivers" while residents disputed that claim.
Sanitation advised residents to file 3-1-1 reports for missed collections so the department can escalate and to email specific addresses for follow-up when collections are not corrected. The department offered to follow up with superintendents where repeated problems occur.
The board recorded no formal vote on Sanitation items; discussion closed with the department offering contact points and a commitment to follow up on individual cases.
