By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

The Village of Manlius Board of Trustees is considering the purchase of a new garbage truck for the department of public works (DPW) that would enhance the welfare and efficiency of DPW workers and the overall aesthetic of the village streets.

During the board’s March 12 regular monthly meeting, DPW Superintendent Chris Sherwood and Assistant Superintendent Jeff Lewis proposed the purchase of a replacement truck for the village’s 2003 packer, which was reported to be on its last legs.

When Sherwood and Lewis began their search for a suitable truck, they found almost all of the options to be unavailable for 10 months to a year.

“You have a garbage truck down there that we have been keeping together with shoestring, really . . . [and new trucks] are hard to get right now,” Sherwood said.

Recently, however, the pair discovered a brand-new truck on the ground in Florida.

“We talked to Tracey Road Equipment and [they said] they can put this truck under their Onondaga County contract, and it’s $7,000 cheaper than going a year and ordering a new truck,” Sherwood said.

Unlike the current packer, the truck under consideration features a hopper on both the driver and passenger sides.

Sherwood and Lewis explained that this configuration would give workers the option of either dumping items (e.g., couches, chairs, other special items, etc.) directly into the hoppers or manually hooking a “tote” (rolling trash container) to the hopper.

Each hopper can accommodate two totes at a time; once filled, they can be dumped into the packer with the push of a button.

In addition to transforming a three-person operation into a two-man job, the new truck and tote combination is expected to provide a number of benefits to its workers and the community.

“One of the reasons [that it is important to switch from a packer] is the liability of our guys hanging off the back of the truck and stepping into traffic,” said Trustee/Deputy Mayor Janice Abdo-Rott, who serves as the DPW liaison.

Additionally, Sherman noted, the new system would prevent workers from injuring their backs while lifting heavy trashcans.

The plan, according to Abdo-Rott, is for the village to provide residents with standardized trash totes. The totes will not only make the village look uniform on trash day, but they will also serve to deter scavenging animals and discourage residents from overfilling their cans or throwing garbage bags on the ground.

The truck is equipped for both trash and recyclable collection. Syracuse Haulers is currently responsible for recyclable pickup in the village; however, the DPW anticipates that at some point in the future the village truck could pick up trash and recyclables simultaneously.

If the village were to express its intention to buy the truck, Sherwood explained, Tracey Road Equipment would make the purchase and send the truck to Rochester to install the body. The truck would arrive in Manlius, ready to use, around May, at which time payment would be expected.

“In all fairness, it’s probably going to be June before you end up paying for the truck anyway,” Sherwood said.

At the end of the DPW presentation, Abdo-Rott made a motion to approve the purchase of the truck.

She also explained that the purchase— which is not in the budget—would be rolled together with the proposed Village Centre HVAC/Window/Doors projects and funded through a bond.

Several board members expressed concern about the fact that the truck request is being made before the bond resolution is brought before the board in April.

“The problem with this is that when we do adopt a bond resolution, it’s by permissive referendum, so there is a 45-day period once the bond resolution is adopted for feedback to come in,” said Administrator/Clerk Martha Dygert. “If someone [were to] speak out against the adoption of the bond resolution, [we would have to] figure out a different way to pay for the truck.”

Trustee Hank Chapman added that he felt rushed into a decision with a lot of “ifs” and that he wished he had additional information to compare costs.

Village Attorney Rick James put an end to the conversation by advising the board to meet in an executive session to consult their attorney on the issue.

Additionally, the board:

• Passed a motion to hire Ethan Duprey as a public works maintenance worker. He is scheduled to begin March 18.
• Approved a 15 percent rate increase and a tiered registration fee for the Village of Manlius Recreation Department’s 2019 Summer Playground Program.
• Approved the renewal of the Police Department lease as negotiated by the village attorney.
• Passed a motion to pay the registration fees for the Manlius Fire Department Explorer Program. The program will be renewed for 1.5 years.
• Voted to surplus an old DPW generator that was replaced last year.
• 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.