Brooklyn, NY – To help avoid a repeat of last year’s frustrating blizzard response that left many Brooklyn residents stranded for nearly a week, Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) has allocated $1 million in capital funds to purchase snow removal equipment, including plows and trucks, to be used by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
This equipment will help ensure that the local Sanitation depots in Councilman Greenfield’s district have the necessary tools to properly respond to future storms. Specifically, the neighborhoods of Midwood, Borough Park and Bensonhurst will be receiving this brand new equipment courtesy of Councilman Greenfield. Thanks to this new equipment, and a package of laws that the Council passed since the December 2010 blizzard, Greenfield is optimistic that Southern Brooklyn residents will not find themselves stranded for days while other parts of the city are cleaned up first, as was the case in last year’s blizzard.
“When I learned that Sanitation crews didn’t have the equipment needed to make sure our streets were passable immediately after the storm, I vowed that this wouldn’t happen again in my district. We have a saying in this business – put your money where your mouth is. That’s why I set aside one million dollars in capital funds to make sure that my constituents are never again left to fend for themselves during snow storms. These funds will have a long-term impact on the ensuring cleanliness of my communities,” explained Councilman Greenfield.
Following the December 2010 blizzard, many streets in South Brooklyn were left impassible, despite claims by city officials that all neighborhoods had been cleared. The delay in getting plows onto local streets created dangerous conditions for residents, especially the thousands of children forced to trek through snow and ice to get to school.
The $1 million in capital funds will be used to purchase equipment for the three Brooklyn Sanitation garages that handle sanitation issues for the 44th Council District and the overlapping neighborhoods. So far, two haulster trucks with plow attachments have been purchased for use in Community Board 12 at a cost of $154,000 each. The Sanitation department will use the rest of the funds over the upcoming year to purchase other necessary equipment including special “V” plows that are used to break through frozen snow and ice.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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5 Responses
The city has given City Council members the discretionary authority to spend such money without an appropritation from the City Council? That would indeed be a radical change and a major deviation from basic rules of “separation of powers” governing American law since it would turn the legislators into executives. More likely he supported a law passed by the city council to spend money, and is trying to take credit for the actions of the entire municipal government, of which he is relatively small part.
Councilman Greenfield:
PLEASE don’t forget us in the East ’30s (Nostrand Avenue to Flatbush Avenue) between Ave. I to Kings Highway!!!
We are ALWAYS the very LAST ones to EVER see a plow or salt truck!!! While other areas are getting their third service, we don’t get even our FIRST!!!
HELP!!!
I appreciate Councilman David Greenfield’s efforts. All of the great equipment available now and all thats coming won’t mean a thing if the DSNY personnel choose to repeat another slowdown. Anyone who thinks that there was a lack of equipment during last years storm is just kidding themselves.
We get it! YWN supports David Greenfield. This is supposed to be a news source, not a campaign website. Please stop posting articles that give Greenfield credit for miniscule things. He is a PAID public official who is just doing his job.
To our Dear Councilman Greenfield:
Please use the million Dollars to include:
1) Coffee and Pizza for every sanitation man on snow removal detail, every 2-3 hours; and
2) Since almost every official Holiday falls on a Monday (3 times in the next month alone), we remain without Monday RECYCLING pick-up in our area. The funds should be allocated for Recycling pick-up after midnight of the Holiday. The next 2 weeks there is NO SCHEDULED RECYCLING AT ALL!! For those of us law abiding citizens of Boro Park who are careful to separate our garbage, where can we store 3 weeks’ worth of aluminum, plastic bottles, newspapers etc.?