By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
During its April 9 regular monthly meeting, the Village of Manlius Board of Trustees revisited the topic of trash and recycling collection.
Central to the discussion was the proposed purchase of a new garbage truck for the department of public works.
DPW Superintendent Chris Sherwood and Assistant Superintendent Jeff Lewis presented a suitable replacement for the village’s 2003 packer at the board’s March 12 meeting.
“We are still able to purchase the same truck that [we discussed],” said Sherwood. “The truck is on the ground in Florida and it would be [about] $10,000 cheaper than if we ordered that same truck new and waited a year to get it.”
Unlike the current packer, the side-load unit features a hopper on both sides of the truck, allowing workers to dump certain items directly into the hoppers or to manually hook trash totes onto the hopper. Each hopper accommodates two totes at a time; once filled, the totes can be dumped into the packer with the push of a button.
The proposed packer and tote combination would reduce the trash removal workforce from three to two, freeing up a DPW employee to complete other necessary jobs around the village.
“It also takes the guys off the back of the truck and puts them into the cabin of the truck for safety purposes,” Sherwood said.
According the DPW’s plan, residents would have the option of receiving either a 45- or 95-gallon tote for trash. A separate 95-gallon tote would also be provided for recycling, which the village would collect every other week. Old trash cans no longer serving a purpose would be picked up by the DPW.
Sherwood noted the totes would come with a 12-year warranty and that residents would be responsible for paying a fee to replace lost or damaged totes.
Trustee/Deputy Mayor Janice Abdo-Rott and Sherwood reiterated the urgency of replacing the village packer.
“Our packer is falling apart and we have to replace it,” Abdo-Rott said. “I think this is the way to go, if only to make it safer for our employees.”
Sherwood added that in addition to its other issues, the packer now has a broken motor mount.
“If we can’t get this truck within a couple of months, that motor mount is going to need to be repaired,” he said. “That is going to be a costly fix by itself, not to [mention] what could go wrong from here to there.”
Initially, the board intended for the packer and equipment to be rolled together with the proposed Village Centre HVAC/Window/Doors projects and funded through a single bond.
However, according to Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Martha Dygert, because the truck and renovated building have different periods of probable usefulness, they must be addressed in two separate bond resolutions.
After considerable discussion, the board passed a motion to approve the bond resolution in the amount of $460,000 for the packer and related equipment.
“The adoption of a bond resolution doesn’t mean that we are going to definitely borrow that much . . . we are just following the process to be able to [do so] if that is what [the board decides],” explained Dygert.
The board discussed financing options such as a lease-purchase agreement and bond anticipation note for the packer and totes, but ultimately decided to continue the discussion of trash removal at the board’s April 23 budget workshop, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
In other news
The board passed a motion to sign a contract with Scotty’s JUMP N’ FUN Party Rentals to provide rides and games for the Fourth of July celebration.
Public hearings on six different local laws were scheduled for the board’s next regular meeting on May 14. The four traffic-related local laws—which propose three new no parking zones and a stop sign— were drafted to address safety concerns voiced by DPW. For details on the proposed local laws, contact the village clerk.
The board approved a $1 hourly wage increase for the returning directors of the Summer Playground Program. Two of the six director positions have yet to be filled. The hourly rate for the two new directors will start at $12.10.
The board rejected the bids for the Village Centre renovation project, with the intent to rebid in September.
“I think we are going to get a better response if we get the contractors during the time when they are committing to their next construction season,” said Dygert.
Manlius village board meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Manlius Village Centre, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue, Manlius.
For more information, visit manliusvillage.org or call the Clerk’s Office at 315-682-9171.
