CM Justin Sanchez questions OMB on sanitation garage capacity and containerization
Councilmember Sanchez asks whether truck procurement aligns with planned garage capacity for containerization. Solomon explains DSNY is also reducing rear-loader trucks to offset space needs, funding is distributed by fiscal year based on schedules, and they're evaluating options to advance garage replacement funding.
Thank you so much, Chair.
First, I wanted to start off with sanitation garages.
So there is extensive infrastructure being built out for containerization, yet a lot of the garage infrastructure that is much needed to house our trucks, do all the things that we need to do to run our system,
are being pushed out into the out years.
Has
Has there been any conversation on whether the pace of the truck procurement will be aligned and available to deal with planned garage capacity?
Sure.
We've had conversations with the sanitation department about this to make sure that their replacement projects are, we understood the timing that they would come online for those projects to be able to move forward.
We've distributed by fiscal year based on the schedules and the cash flow of what we anticipate with the agency.
We are basically not just expanding the fleet of the side loader trucks as related to containerization.
We're also reducing the fleet on our rear loader trucks that offset the need for the additional space.
So we're evaluating our options where space obviously presents a challenge, but we're seeing, working with the department, understanding the timing and the cash flow of when those projects need to happen.
Now, funding for the garage replacement itself, I think that we need to understand how within the capital project envelope, and this has been mentioned in other areas before, where there's capital funding that may exist
in outer years that could be advanced as a possibility or in other areas where we can repurpose.
Some of the conditions that we see in the garages clearly need capital investment.
There's no doubt about that.
And so we're committed to working with the agency and with you as we go forward in the next few weeks to see what.
What's in the funding envelope that could be provided?
And while, you know, containerization is arguably a really great thing for the city, I want to make sure we're not putting the cart before the horse