JOHNSTOWN - Whether the job involves painting or motor vehicle mechanics or installing siding, eager Fulton County Department of Solid Waste employees pitch in and help with many internal projects.
County administrators say many of the roughly 50 full- and part-time employees working at the 500-acre county Sanitary Landfill in the town of Johnstown and those at the municipal transfer stations often make themselves available for projects that aren't in their job descriptions, saving the need for the county to hire skilled laborers - and thousands of dollars in the process.
"They enjoy doing it and it saves the county money," said Ephratah Supervisor Todd Bradt, chairman of the Board of Supervisors' Environmental Resources Committee. "It breaks up the monotony."
Everyday work may include running a tractor through the landfill, working the recycling sorting line or checking the public's vehicles through the transfer stations. But department Director Jeff Bouchard said there's no lack of non-traditional work to be done, as evidenced by renovations under way at transfer stations in Northampton, Caroga and Broadalbin, all performed by department staffers.
Late last week at the landfill on Mud Road, solid waste workers were performing an annual force main cleaning, using a sewer jet installed on an existing tractor truck. Bouchard said that in-house labor is $10,000 cheaper than hiring a service.
In July, solid waste workers laid 600 feet of pipe to extend a water system so it could be used by the Sammonsville and Ephratah volunteer fire companies. Old open-top garbage containers are sandblasted, repaired and refurbished annually.
Bouchard, who has worked for the Department of Solid Waste since the landfill opened in 1989, has continually gotten county employees to contribute their other skills. He remembers a big project in 1991 when he and other solid waste workers built a storage barn on the landfill property using on-site lumber. Landfill staff built the original pump station at the landfill, which was used to fill leachate tankers that used to take leachate to the sewage treatment plant before the county built a modern line.
"The staff enjoys this type of work," Bouchard said. "We take a lot of pride in our facilities."
Recycling Division employees are spending some of their downtime building a 12- by 56-foot upper mezzanine area at the recycling center, saving $48,000 and instilling some pride among the department, Bouchard said.
Other in-house Department of Solid Waste projects include:
Hooking up gas wells in the landfill's "C" cell areas.
In-house grant writing that resulted in an $803,000 reimbursement or the county's methane gas-to-electric project and $13,938 for the 2009 Household Hazardous Waste drop-off program.
New metal siding on the old leachate pump station.
Demolition of buildings on Burr and East Fulton streets in Gloversville through the county's demolition team.
Having an environmental technician undergo training in order to train other staff, eliminating the need for hiring consultants.
Repairing and refurbishing storm water pumps, including new slide rails and couplings.
Deputy Director Cindy Livingston, who does much of the in-house grant writing, said staff members have been invaluable working on government surplus vehicles the county obtains that "don't always work perfectly." And she remembers when the staff installed gas flares at the landfill in 1996 and 1997.
"Our own guys learned how to weld the pipes," she said, adding the experience helped to bring the landfill's gas-to-electric project online this year.
Recycling Coordinator Dianne Woske said that toward the end of each month, when recycling pickups end, her staff often is pulled off the line for painting and maintenance. Employees have worked on sticker and label development and produced slick solid waste reports.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
