City, state to share road salt
Agreement expected to speed up snow plowing
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.» The city’s department of public works announced the appointment of a new deputy commissioner as well an agreement with New York State that will benefit the city during the winter months Tuesday night at the City Council meeting.
Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, commissioner of Public Works, said the department he oversees will now be able to use the state Department of Transportation’s salt barns at its facilities on West Avenue and Route 50 by Exit 15.
“The benefits to our operation are tremendous. DPW trucks can be back in their sections faster. This is especially true in the outer regions of the city since they can restock at more locations,” Scirocco said. “This will also reduce the number of large trucks passing through the city during a storm to refill at the city garage. DPW employees have toured the
two facilities and our trained on the process for obtaining salt at the DOT facility. DPW salt will be delivered to the locations and obtained during snow and ice situations.”
Besides the city, Saratoga County and New York State Parks maintenance will also use the DOT facilities to distribute salt.
Scirocco explained how this will save the city time.
“It allows us to hit the DOT garage for outlining areas like in Geyser Crest. Normally the trucks got to come from there, and come all the way back to the city to the DPW garage on Rensselaer and fill it back up again and then go back out again,” Scirocco said. “[Now we can go] right to DOT. They keep track of what we use, and we replenish them with what we use in those areas, so I can’t tell you what a benefit this is going to be for us.”
Scirocco also appointed a new deputy Tuesday night.
Joseph O’Neill III will take over for Frank Coppola Jr, who announced his retirement.
Scirocco explained how O’Neill III took an interesting in public works because his father was the former DPW director.
“In the same council room, Joe would watch his father give presentations to the residents of Saratoga Springs about projects that DPW was involved with,” Scirocco said. “Joe himself started as a seasonal employee with DPW in 1991, and he became a full-time laborer in 2000 in the Water Utilities department.”
Since then O’Neill has worked on every aspect of the city’s infrastructure.
Scirocco said he’s looking forward to O’Neill III working as his deputy.
“I’m very optimistic that [O’Neill’s] energy, accountability and knowledge will be a benefit to DPW and also city residents.”