Poloncarz announces new snowplowing agreement with local municipalities

3-year pact runs through 2022; modest rate increase cements agreement with 31 municipalities to provide ice and snow control on county-owned roads

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz announced a new snowplowing agreement has been reached between Erie County and local municipalities contracting with the county for snow removal on county roads. Erie County’s current three-year contract with these 31 municipalities for snow and ice control will expire on Aug. 31. After lengthy negotiations, an agreement for a new, three-year pact was reached that includes a 3.5% lane mile reimbursement rate for plowing services each year for the first two years, and a 3% rate the third year.

“Maintaining our roads is a year-round task, and, while the calendar may say July, we have been working hard to reach a new snowplowing agreement for the upcoming cold months. It is important to have this contract concluded well before the snow flies, and today we are pleased to say that the agreement reached is fair to all and is key to ensuring county roads are cleared in the winter months,” Poloncarz said. “I thank Town of Eden Supervisor Melissa Hartman and her fellow supervisors, along with DPW Commissioner Bill Geary and his team, for keeping these talks moving and communicating openly and directly with each other, which ultimately led to an equitable agreement for all. It’s a win for Erie County residents.”

Geary added, “The towns are key partners in plowing county roads each winter, and in speaking to supervisors during these negotiations it was clear that they understood the importance of this agreement – that it needs to be fair to all county taxpayers, and that there’s no time to delay in getting the deal done. In Erie County, the weather can turn cold quickly, so reaching a successful conclusion over the summer is good for all.”

The agreement, which will expire on Aug. 31, 2022, is anticipated to be approved by the Erie County Legislature at its July 25 session. Most of the roads covered by the agreement are in rural and outer-suburban areas of the county.

For more information on the Erie County Department of Public Works, visit http://www2.erie.gov/dpw/.