State infrastructure grant money to flow to muncipalities RENSSELAER — Ten years ago, 36 people were employed in the City of Rensselaer’s Public Works Department. Today, that number is down to 26. As public works employees across the state can attest, for need for infrastructure repairs is growing, but staffing and funding levels are shrinking. “On any given day, there might be five or six digs to get to,” said City of Rensselaer Unit President Kevin Billets. “There’s a lot to be done.” City of Rensselaer Unit Vice President Jim Thomas, a public works supervisor, noted, many of the state’s cities are old and the pipes are old. “When you add sustained freezing temperatures, the frost gets in so deep the ground heaves up putting pressure on the lead pipes until they crack,” he said. “Last winter killed us.” But starting this year, municipalities across the state will have the chance to tap into some of the $200 million in grant monies dedicated to local water and sewer infrastructure improvements that were recently approved in this year’s state budget. CSEA was a strong proponent of this funding “Continued and robust funding of New York’s infrastructure will increase safety and provide a needed economic boost,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. — Therese Assalian Jim Thomas works in a trench while he and other workers repair a broken line on the city’s Washington Street. Infrastructure funding a critical municipal need The 2015-16 New York State Budget includes $200 million in grant money to fund municipal water and sewer infrastructure improvements. This funding is crucial because much of New York’s infrastructure is aging, as evidenced by numerous municipal water breaks in recent years that have been attributed to aging infrastructure. The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, which provides low-cost financing for local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, will lay out the process and timelines that municipalities will use to apply for the grants to be given out over the next three years. The state will pay up to 60 percent of the cost of eligible projects. While $50 million will be available in the first year, $75 million is earmarked for the second and third years. Rensselaer Department of Public Works crews work together to fix a broken water line. As Jim Thomas works in the trench, DPW workers Joe Stager, left, and Stephen Vladney work outside the trench as Gary Blowers operates a track hoe in the rear. 6 The Work Force June 2015
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