JOHNSTOWN — Two culverts have been delivered to the city for projects due to start in March.
City Engineer Christopher Vose relayed details of the projects during his monthly report to the Common Council Monday night at City Hall.
Vose said the North Chase Street and South Chase Street culverts have been delivered. He said the city currently intends to start these projects in March, weather dependent.
He said the city is still awaiting word on an extension from New York state for the city’s funding for these projects due to COVID-19 pandemic-related delays. Currently, the funding deadline for the culvert projects is April 30, he said.
Also in his report, Vose said maintenance of city-owned properties continues to be ongoing with snow removal as well as upkeep for occupied city-owned buildings.
Vose said he continues to work with engineering firm Greenman-Pedersen Inc. in Colonie on the replacement of the Townsend Avenue Bridge project. He said that project is still on schedule for construction during the 2021 season.
“We continue to ensure our preparedness to deal with all winter weather as it comes,” the city engineer said. “This includes performing routine maintenance and repairs of plow trucks and snow removal equipment, as well as making sure we have salt on hand to be utilized during winter events. We also continue to monitor residential sand barrels that are placed on corners throughout the city and they are refilled as needed. There is also a shed behind the senior center with salt/sand mix for residents to utilize if a sand barrel is not located close to their property.”
Vose said city Department of Public Works crews are also monitoring sidewalk snow and ice removal around the city. Any properties where there is snow and ice buildup that is causing a threat to the public safety will be receiving a letter asking the property owner to rectify the situation.
He also noted that it is a violation of state law to plow or place snow in the roadway when cleaning your property. Vose said this creates a “hazardous situation” for vehicular and pedestrian traffic and can lead to legal liability issues for property owners.
DPW crews have also been out removing snow from the edges of roads in various locations around the city to try and keep streets and sidewalks as passable and safe as possible, Vose said.
The DPW has taken delivery of a 2021 International dump truck. The cost of the equipment is to be reimbursed using a portion of the city’s 2020 state Department of Transportation CHIPs allotment, Vose said. Once the vehicle is registered and insured, it will be put into use, he said.
Vose said DPW crews are also patching roads where potholes developed from the winter weather.
Arcadis completed a 2020 annual landfill monitoring report, along with the annual inspection of the former Karg Bros. site. Those reports were filed with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Vose said.
No major issues exist at either location at this time, he said.
