What's the plan for Poughkeepsie city snow removal this year?

Despite heated criticism last winter about slow and sloppy snow removal, City of Poughkeepsie officials say they aren't planning to spend more on snow removal next year with the state picking up the responsibility to plow the eastbound and westbound arterials.

Mayor John Tkazyik has proposed spending the same amount on snow removal in 2015 as was budgeted for this year — $360,395.

The city this year, though, has spent over twice that amount — $798,677 — due to several mid-February storms that dumped over 21 inches of snow.

That cost reflects money the city spent to pay Dutchess County and outside contractors to help plow and remove snow, said city Administrator Milo Bunyi. The unbudgeted amount includes overtime pay for workers in the city Department of Public Works, who worked long hours clearing the snow from city streets and sidewalks.

The city's delay in clearing the arterials and many city streets in February drew harsh criticisms from residents at Common Council meetings.

The city administration, however, does not anticipate spending next year over the $360,395 budgeted for in 2014. That's due to two factors, Bunyi said: The unlikelihood of several snow storms hitting the city in a matter of days again and the agreement reached with the New York state Department of Transportation to plow and maintain the arterials.

"It was an extraordinary amount of snow we got back to back to back that we had never received before," he said. "Any chance of it repeating twice in the same decade is not likely."

This summer, the city did not renew its agreement with the state DOT to maintain the arterials, which are state Routes 44/55, within the city limits. For the first time in over 30 years, the city will not be responsible for maintaining the arterials, which include plowing snow, street cleaning, maintaining the street lights and cutting the grass along the roadways.

A major reason for not renewing the agreement was that the state DOT was reimbursing the city for just over $70,000 a year to maintain the arterials, Bunyi said. That's the same amount the state has been providing the city for over 30 years

"The true cost of maintaining the arterial was far more than the reimbursement amount we were getting from the state," Bunyi said.

Poughkeepsie Common Council Chairman Robert Mallory, D-3rd Ward, said, the state DOT was not willing to negotiate the reimbursement amount.

"The city is still willing to listen and negotiate a different agreement but at this time it's a state responsibility," he said.

Having the state take over plowing the arterials, Mallory said, "allows us now to focus our resources on city streets. It will enhance our ability to be more effective because we won't have to worry about the arterial."

Carol Kozlowski, 69, of Hoffman Street, said she it makes sense for the state DOT to take over the responsibility for maintaining the arterials in the city.

"Supposedly it's going to save us money," she said. "It's their highway, let them take care of it."

Kozlowski, though, said the city council should add a little more money to next year's snow removal budget.

"If they don't spend it, it can go into the contingency (fund)," she said. "At least the money will be there if we need it."

Mark Pagano, 36, of Marian Avenue said he felt comfortable with keeping the snow removal budget at $360,395 next year.

"As long as spending doesn't increase and it doesn't affect the coverage of clearing the snow, I'm okay with it," he said.

The snow removal allocation is part of the overall $77,431,415 budget for 2015 proposed by Tkazyik. That amount represents a 2.75 percent spending increase over this year. The mayor is proposing to increase the tax levy — the portion of the budget funded by taxpayers — by 1.56 percent, which is right at the state tax cap.

It's up to the Common Council to adopt the 2015 budget by the end of the year. Mallory said the council is intent on keeping the tax levy increase under the tax cap.

But members of the council are concerned about Tkazyik's proposal to not to fill two vacancies in the DPW: A heavy equipment motor operator and a sign painter. Not filling those positions would save the city, $52,297 and about $54,000 respectively, Mallory said.

"There is a concern in not filling that position, is the city going to be efficient enough to remove snow?" Mallory said of the heavy equipment motor operator position.

John Davis: jpdavis@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4807, Twitter: @JohnDavisPJ