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Dunkirk officials heaped praise on city workers this week for their recent storm-fighting efforts, and Common Council member Nancy Nichols suggested a way to give the Department of Public Works folks a break.
Nichols wondered at a council meeting if city trash pickup should be suspended in the event of severe storms, like the one that lashed Dunkirk last week with winds in excess of 70 miles per hour. She reasoned the eight DPW workers available are already spread thin during a storm response, which they must focus on first. Other municipalities enact similar trash pickup suspensions during severe storms, she added.
"It's something we can look into. Obviously we'd have to discuss that with the mayor and the guys at the shop," said DPW Deputy Director Michael Przybycien. "There are only eight, a limited amount of guys there. They're doing a pretty good job considering what they have to work with. I would assume that if we had a major storm or something, that could be considered -- but the reality is, we have to pick up the garbage sooner or later."
"With the high winds you had ... you had trash all over the place," Nichols said.
Przybycien said the DPW employees "pretty much work around the clock as needed. There is only one crew and we do not have forced overtime. They come in on their own, they leave their families, and I think that should be known."
Earlier, Mayor Kate Wdowiasz offered thanks for help during the recent bad weather.
"I'd like to thank DPW, National Grid and their contractors, for their storm cleanup... and the police department for keeping us all informed on the road conditions, as well as the drug bust (they) just executed," she said.
Councilmember Natalie Luczkowiak also thanked DPW for their efforts. Councilman-at-large Nick Weiser added his own thanks, also naming the police and fire departments.