1. NEW YORK STATE COUNTY HIGHWAY
SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION
THE WAY WE WERE
THE WAY WE ARE NOW
January, 2013
Albany, New York

2.  Understand the history and status of current funding programs.
 Gain an understanding of Forward Four and what it means to
your 20% share of Federal Aid Projects.
 Understand how declining tax revenues and New York State’s
2% Tax Cap are impacting County budgets.
 Learn how other County Highway Departments are overcoming
the challenges faced in today’s economic and political
environments.

3. There was a time that many of us would have loved to work for County
government.
There was a time when working for the County government meant being much
appreciated and duly rewarded during a satisfying career.
It was also a pretty sweet deal after retirement, too.
It was soul-satisfying work that involved helping provide programs and services
to the County’s residents, along with all the other people who depend on the
various County departments.
When your days of service were over, you could look forward to a nice payoff on
the back end that included the ability to retire at an age when you could still
enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Modified from Eugene Kane, 11/19/2012, Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin -
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/county-workers-say-rules-attitudes-are-changing-th340oi-134187373.html

4. Today there are fewer opportunities for employment in County government.
It is becoming more difficult to attract and retain quality people.
There is less job security than ever before.
Employee compensation and benefits are being reduced.
There is less money available for staff development and training.
Job satisfaction is declining for many County workers.
Retirement benefits are being reduced.
We are struggling to keep our highways and bridges in good repair.

5. From 1950 until 2000, sixty-four percent of the population worked, owned their
homes and properties, and paid property taxes.

6. Since 2000, the percentage of people working has declined to fifty-eight percent.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_employment_1995-2012.png

7. Fewer people working means more people relying on the government. Today in
New York State, nine State mandates consume ninety percent of the County
property tax levy:
• Medicaid
• Public Assistance/Safety Net
• Child Welfare
• Preschool Special Education
• Early Intervention
• Indigent Defense
• Probation
• Youth Detention
• Pensions
Source: New York State Association of Counties

8. So when you do the math, just 10 percent of the tax levy is left
for other “Discretionary Spending”:
• Roads
• Bridges
• Public buildings
• Parks and trails
• Waste and refuse
• Other infrastructure
• Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Historical Societies
• Libraries
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Economic Development Agencies

9. The Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS)
was established by the Legislature in 1981. The applicable rules for the Program
are contained in Section 10-c of the State Highway Law.

10. The Marchiselli or Municipal Streets and Highways Program partially funds
the local match for Federal Aid projects.
Marchiselli typically covers
75% of the local matching
share (20%) or 15% of a
Federal Aid project. It is
authorized under 80-b, 1991
New York State Highway
Laws.

11. In May of 2012 the NYSDOT formalized a policy that focuses on preservation and
safety of existing transportation infrastructure. The Comprehensive Policy Update is
known as “Forward Four”. Forward Four has the following four principals:
• Preservation First;
• System Not Projects;
• Maximize Return on Investment, and
• Make it Sustainable

12. This is policy is a shift from the “Build New” and “Worst First” policies of the past
and is already beginning to impact the way we plan our projects:
On October 17, 2012 NYSDOT issued Engineering Bulletin 12-042, which is
intended to realign project eligibility criteria for Marchiselli funds with the asset
management-based preservation strategies.
These changes are now also incorporated into chapters 3 & 4 of the Procedures
for Locally Administered Federal Aid Projects (PLAFAP) manual

13. The new Federal transportation authorization “Moving Ahead for Progress in the
21st Century” or MAP 21” is not yet well understood. The new authorization does
not significantly increase Federal Aid for transportation infrastructure and the
resources for locally administered projects will continue to fall short of our needs.
New York State’s CHIPs and
Marchiselli programs have been
frozen for years at $363 Million
and $39 million, respectively.
What is worse, the mechanisms for
funding these programs are not
sustainable.

14. For many years, the price and availability of petroleum products, including
gasoline, diesel fuel and asphalt was not a significant concern. .

15. The price of gasoline is near historic high points and is likely to
stay high or increase.
Source: http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx

16. The price of diesel is near historic high points and is likely to
increase.
Source: http://blog.transplace.com/archive/tags/Diesel%20fuel%20prices/default.aspx

17. Effective on or after Jan. 1, 2012, the Property Tax Cap Legislation limits the
annual growth of property taxes levied by local governments to 2 percent or the
rate of inflation, whichever is less.
The cap also applies to the
property tax levies of school
districts and special districts
like fire departments, libraries,
sewer and water systems.
The Property Tax Cap
Legislation (Laws of New
York, 2011, Chapter 97 –
Part A) is actually an
amendment to General
Municipal Law.
Source: http://www.empirecenter.org/Special-Reports/2011/11/proptaxcapguide113011.cfm

18. County Highway Departments are between a Rock and a Hard Place.
•Unfunded Mandates
•Increasing Costs •Tax Cap
•Aging Infrastructure •Decreasing Tax Base
•Changes in Funding
Programs and Policies
Just 13 of the 57 Counties in New York State have passed laws allowing
them to exceed the tax cap. Source: New York State Association of Counties 12/19/12

19. Our next two speakers will share with you the challenges they
have faced and the solutions they have developed to overcome
those challenges.
Chemung County
Essex County

20. Chemung County maintains 250 miles of County
Highways and 148 County & Town Bridges.

21. The primary driver for change at the Chemung County DPW has been a shrinking
budget. Our budget is12% less now than it was in 2008.
Chemung County DPW Budget
9
8
7
Budget in $Millions
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year

22. Chemung County DPW Labor
60
50
Full-Time Employees
40
30
20
10
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
In response to budget reductions, we have:
• Reduced our workforce by 23% from 48 in 2006 to 37 in 2012;
• Employ 14 seasonal workers in summer as laborers;
• Employ 2 seasonal employees in winter with CDLs:
• We still use two operators per truck; we plan to go to one person plowing in
the future.

23. Better Management of Assets:
• Road scoring and traffic counts are used to justify roadway projects;
• Removed or closed 3 bridges from 2008 to 2012:
• City of Elmira Bridge – Saved $3 million;
• Kahler Road Bridge - Saved $2.5-3 million;
• Cemetery Hill Road Bridge – Saved 0.5 million.
• Many of our salt trucks have ground speed indexed spreaders and GPS to track
where and how much salt is applied - We also use this technology on the sweepers;
• We use carbide edges on our plows. They are more expensive but they last much
longer; however, they can damage roads.
• A new fueling facility that fuels vehicles approximately 4x faster - Saves down-time.

24. Rising equipment prices have forced us to be creative and share the cost
with other agencies through Equipment Ownership Agreements and Cross-
Jurisdictional Agreements:
• Joint ownership of a Case 946G Grader ($250,000) - Chemung County, Town
and Village of Horseheads share 70/15/15 based on historical use;
• Steuben County recently purchased a Road Reclaimer. Chemung County will
sign an agreement to pay for its use - less than buying and less than renting from
an equipment dealer;
• Chemung County and the City of Elmira use the NYSDOT Region 6 Under
Bridge Inspection Unit (UBIU) to address bridge flags & repairs flags;
• NYSDOT Region 6 uses the County’s excavator and sweeper and the City of
Elmira’s paver;
• NYSDOT Region 6 applies herbicide to Chemung County guide rail.

25. Chemung County DPW crews constructed County Route 87 in the Town of Big
Flats.
• This was an economic development
project for the Chemung County IDA -
0.16 miles of road were built to provide
access for a relocated airplane museum;
• Chemung County Soil & Water
provided a dozer and rough-in of a
detention basin;
• The County’s scope of work for this
project included construction. (The IDA
paid for design.)
In the past we would have publicly bid the work; however, we estimate that we
saved approximately 30% on the construction cost by using in-house labor and
equipment.

26. Chemung County DPW crews demolished the Kahler Road Bridge.
• The bridge was eliminated because it
was redundant;
• The County’s scope of work included
engineering, demolition and restoration;
• No state or federal money involved;
• Our crews are HAZWOPER trained and
monitored for lead exposure.
In the past we would have publicly bid this demolition project; however, we estimate
that we saved approximately 40% by using in-house labor and equipment.

27. Combined City of Elmira and Chemung County crews construct a truck
parking lot.
• The City and County’s scope of work included
engineering, survey, environmental, and
construction, and inspection.
• This was a federal aid project
• We utilized recycled materials (millings) for sub-
base and a virgin cold mix base and hot-mix binder
for the pavement system
In the past we would have used a design consultant and publicly bid the work;
however, we estimate that we saved approximately 50% by using in-house labor
and equipment.

28. Other projects designed and built with in-house labor and equipment
include:
• Locally funded bridge on Wyncoop Road - County DPW provided all services from design
through construction. Approximately 50% savings over outsourcing design and construction.
• Locally funded culvert replacement - County DPW provided all services from design
through construction. Approximately 50% savings over outsourcing design and construction.
• Maple Avenue Paving Project - City of Elmira and Chemung County provided all services.
Utilized a City owned paver and County owned FlowBoys. 32% savings over outsourcing
design and construction.

29. Developing the skill sets of our County workforce allows us to
undertake challenging projects in-house at considerable savings.
• We have a robust training program with a strong focus on cross-
training:
• Hazwoper training
• MSHA training (we have a gravel pit)
• Tree assessment
• Training for equipment operation is primarily “On The Job”
• We also send staff to other Counties to learn:
• Construction of GRS Bridges in St. Lawrence County
• Pre-casting of box culverts in Steuben County

30. Our investment/sharing in equipment gives us the tools we need to do
our projects for less cost:
• Scheduling is critical– Our superintendents lay out the whole
construction season and develop a fluid, living document.
• We now have a Shared Services Coordinator:
• Creates performance metrics;
• Provides info to public officials;
• Takes the lead on asset management and road protection plans.

31. In summary:
• It is important to be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things;
• Learn from your neighbors – NYSCHSA is a great organization for this;
• Busy guys working on challenging projects are easier to manage than
bored, unchallenged guys who might be getting into trouble – up to a
point:
• You have to have the right people in the right places;
• Not everyone is able to handle an increased work load and a fast-
paced work environment.

32. Essex County has 357 miles
of highway…
and 133 bridges.

33. DPW also maintains 70 building
aged from 1828 to 2009.
Vehicle Maintenance Facility
servicing over 300 vehicles.

34. 14 landfill compaction sites with
$2 million in transportation
equipment.
County owned fairgrounds with
municipal water and sewer.

35. Veterans Cemetery.
Safety and health for all 600
County Employees.

36. Year Tax Levy Rate / $1000
2004 $14,000,562 $3.91
2005 $13,548,044 3.47
2006 $13,548,044 2.98
2007 $13,379,520 2.61
2008 $13,245,725 2.20
2009 $13,245,725 2.00
2010 $13,555,340 1.98
2011 $14,724,045 2.15
2012 $16,276,443 2.41

37. There is a 15% drop in the budget since
2009
Essex County DPW Budget
12.000000
10.000000
Budget in $Millions
8.000000
6.000000
4.000000
2.000000
0.000000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year

38. 2013 Budget
Materials cut for the second year. 30% in 2012 and 15 % in 2013
Equipment purchases cut to zero for the second year.
12% of the work force lost since 2011.

39. How we adjusted
1. More work performed in house; road construction, paving, bridge building,
bridge maintenance.
Lowers capital cost.
Perform less maintenance decreasing infrastructure life.

40. Innovative Capital Projects
1. Used bridge spans.
2. Combine County forces with Contracted services to complete projects.

41. Shared Services
1. Towns perform snow and ice control on 85% of County Highways by lump
sum contract.
2. Utilize Towns for minor maintenance; mowing, brooming, ditching.
3. Contract specialized tasks; guide rail, concrete repair, roof repair.

42. Equipment
1. Bid new or used equipment.
2. Pool equipment throughout the county; State, County, Town and Village

43. Funding
1. Bond bridges
2. Utilize all of CHIPS funds for highway materials.
3. Recycle materials when possible; Inverset bridges, scrap metal.

44. Versatile Labor Force
1. All County highway crews are trained to perform all tasks.
2. All DPW employees are expected to work interdivisional; Buildings and
Ground, Highway, Safety and Health, Clerical, Engineering will chip in when
needed.
3. Make our own Storm water prevention products: sediment traps, waddles.

45. Summary
• Budgets are shrinking and cost are rising.
• More work in house.
• Innovative capital projects.
• Shared services.
• Options in equipment purchase.
• Creative funding.
• Versatile labor force.

46. Warren County
•Est. 1813
•65,723 Residents
•869 sq mi
•93% in Adirondack Park
“These fellows say we won't fight! By Heaven, I hope I
shall die up to my knees in blood!"
MG Joseph Warren
Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

47. Warren County
Department of Public Works
Parks, Recreation & Railroad
Airport
•14 mi Bikepath, 40 mi RR
•FAA Part 139 Airport
•Fish Hatchery, Fairgrounds
•5,000 and 4,000 foot runways
•UpYonda Educational Center
Buildings and Grounds
•Day Maintenance Crew
•Night Cleaners
Engineering Highways & Bridges
•Engineering, CM and Project Admin •247 centerline miles
•Grant and Local Projects •60 Highway Bridges

48. Warren County
DPW Total Expense
$18,000,000
$16,000,000
$14,000,000
$12,000,000
$10,000,000
$8,000,000
$6,000,000
$4,000,000
$2,000,000
$-
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
(Budgeted)
Budget Year

49. Warren County
Full Time Positions
140
135 136
130
125
120
115
110
105 107
100
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Budget Year
•21% Reduction in Full Time Positions since 2006

50. Warren County

51. Warren County
Managing With Fewer Personnel:
• Sharing manpower between DPW Divisions
• Temporary Labor – 4 Seasonal hires in Highway Division, 1 part-time
cleaner
(also good way to recruit and test new hires)
• Set and enforce standards…disciplinary follow-thru
(some of the cuts were poor performers)
• Department Reorganization and Consolidation of Duties…update CS
Titles and create relevant positions
(Deleted 35 Positions, Created 6 New)
• One Person Plowing while on OT

52. Warren County

53. Warren County
Managing With Less Project Funding:
• Engineering Centric…virtually all repair/improvement work is
directed/managed by Engineering Division
- Less waste, better results, right priorities
• Not more, but better quality work…
- Crew Training…paving schools
- Better survey controls
• More in-house work
- Superstructure Replacements
- County Paving Crew!! Can’t do without it.
- Bridge Repair and Bridge Maint/washing

54. Warren County
Diamond Point Rd, I-87 Exit 23
- Quality mill & fill project, complex M&PT…county paving crew rebates are
good or they get redone.

55. Warren County
- County crews fabricated a 60 ft. temp bridge with 4 beams salvaged from a
Fed Aid bridge replacement project. Deck is panelized timber (2X8X16 PT on
edge).

56. Warren County
Chatiemac Rd. Bridge
- County crews poured new stub abutments and placed this 70’ US Bridge.
Deck was LW concrete in deck pans with asphalt wearing surface.

57. Warren County
What’s the next step for us in 2013?:
• Pavement Density Testing
- Working on roller patterns for better pavement
• Another in-house bridge replacement
- Back to Sodom Rd Bridge
• County Temp Bridge to be used on Fed Aid Project
- will result in credit for in-kind services
• Keep beating the drum of pavement grades, bridge ratings, and est.
Service Life-Miles…deferred projects cost more in the end.