A New York State Designated "Quality Community"

Responsibilities

The Schodack Highway Department provides residents with quality snow and ice removal, road repair, water and sewer services, signage, drainage, tree and brush cutting and removal within the Town's right of way. Fifteen department personnel maintain slightly over 100 miles of town roads, three water districts and four sewer districts. Two part-time personnel maintain the grounds in historical cemeteries, the Town Park, and the Town Hall. Water provided by the Town meets or exceeds all standards established under the Safe Drinking Water Act. An administrative assistant receives calls, orders day to day supplies and is responsible for the department payroll.

Although hot-mix asphalt paving and surface treatments are contracted out, preparations for paving and surface treatments are done by town forces. Highway crews also spend much time improving drainage and reconstructing failed sections of road-base. Pictured here are Highway Department employees patching a section of South Old Post Road with hot-mix asphalt.

To help keep your driveway clear and safe this winter:

- Snow should be plowed or shoveled to the right side of the driveway as you are facing the intersecting roadway (see diagram). This action will prevent the bulk of the snow from being pushed back onto the driveway.

- Eliminate snow piles at the driveway entrance whenever possible. High accumulations of snow will obstruct the vision of motorists when exiting from the driveway and hinder the ability of oncoming motorists to see you pulling out of the driveway, creating another potential for accidents.

- Do not push snow out onto roads at anytime. This creates hazardous driving conditions for all vehicles.

-   ...there are more tips below

After Hours Emergencies
Residents who need to report an emergency after business hours can call the Rensselaer County Emergency Service's number 270-5252.

Road Work Permit Requirements

Contact the Town Clerk at the Town Hall or call 518-477-7590.

Services

Water Districts: The town operates and maintains three water districts. All water is chlorinated and tested per New York State Department of Health requirements. All water is provided through town owned wells. The town does not fluoridate its drinking water. Water billing is accomplished on a quarterly basis. The Water Department takes the charge of providing you quality drinking water very seriously. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your concerns.

Sewer Districts: The Town's sewer districts are the result of inter-municipal agreements with the Village of Castleton and the Town of East Greenbush. Billing for this service is accomplished on a quarterly basis as well.

If you are a resident or property owner in a water or sewer district in the Town of Schodack, please call Ken Holmes in a water or sewer related emergency.

Road Repair: Our goal is to provide you the best roadway system possible within the confines of our budget allocation. Repairs are usually accomplished during the months of April to November. However, pothole patrols continue throughout the year. (If you spot a problem, please let us know: email pothole reports to the Highway Department.) The Town Board adopted Road Program provides management as well as residents with a list of roads to be paved during the annual road paving program. A key element of this program is flexibility. Roads scheduled could lose their priority to a road whose condition has worsened and become priority. The superintendent makes every effort to keep to the schedule, but asks residents to understand should their road become a lesser priority.

Street Sweeping

Highway department employees usually begin sweeping roads in residential developments in May. The cleaning of subsurface drainage catch basins is a major part of the initiative.

"This work greatly improves the effectiveness of the storm water drainage systems in our developments" said Superintendent Ken Holmes. "We're very pleased to include this effort in our annual maintenance program."

Rental fees for the street sweeper pictured here were included in the annual Highway Department budget.

Signage: The town maintains regulatory signs such as: yield, stop, speed, directional, and school crossing, etc. Our goal is to maintain them in readable condition. If you notice a town sign that has lost its reflectivity or is difficult to read, please tell the department. Your help is appreciated.

Tree and Brush Cutting: Our goal is to maintain good visibility for the traveling public. Trees or brush within the Town's right of way that limit visibility will be removed. These trees present a hazard to vehicles especially snow plows and school buses. Outside mirrors on these vehicles extend beyond the outside of the vehicle. Please give us a call if you notice a hazard.

Drainage: Proper drainage is a major factor in maintaining good pavement life. No other single factor affects pavement performance more. The Highway Department takes steps to correct drainage deficiencies prior to paving roads. Some drainage culverts end up buried over the course of time. If you're aware of such a culvert, please contact the department before your road gets paved. Together we can make the effort successful.

Snow Removal: Winter presents the Highway Department one of its greatest challenges. Conditions from snow to sleet to ice to freezing rain and to rain create difficult driving conditions. The Highway Department takes great pride in meeting those challenges head on. The department goal is to provide "pavement-edge to pavement-edge" snow removal and it asks residents to avoid parking on street during snow events. The Town's road system is broken into 10 snow routes, each assigned to a separate crew. Each of those routes takes about three to three-and-a-half hours to complete .

The following information will help residents to understand the snow removal policy and what is expected from them.

· Ensure your mailbox is installed properly. Mailboxes installed too low or too close to pavement edge are susceptible to being struck by plow wings. Please believe plowmen hate hitting mailboxes. They are responsible to reinstall them if they're at fault. However, plowmen will not reinstall mailboxes struck due to improper installation. Please contact your local post office for the correct measurements if you are unsure.

· Do not throw snow from walkways or driveways onto the road. Most people don't know this, but it's actually against the law. New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1219 (a) states: No person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, snow or any other substance likely to injure any person, animal, or vehicle upon such highway. Besides, plowmen are very likely to plow it right back into your driveway.

· Please clear all your vehicle windows before travel. See and be seen. Slow down a little when in the area of snow removal operations. Like you, plowmen have blind spots when they drive. See and be seen. Working together we can make this and every snow removal season a great success.

Frequently Asked Questions

· Can you please tell me when (my road) will be resurfaced?
The Highway Department's Road Program annually identifies roads to be resurfaced. The roads are prioritized using Pavement Condition Ratings developed by the New York State Department of transportation. The Road Program is presented to the Town Board in April for their approval. The program includes the current calendar year.

· Where the Highway Department is located?
We are located 3 miles east of the U.S. Route 9/20 split on Route 20 on the north side of the road.

· There is a dead tree near the town road and my property. Whose responsibility is it to have it removed?
The Town removes trees that are in the Town right of way. The Town's right of way is 49.5 feet or three rods. The Town may remove trees that fall into this range. Please contact us if you have any question concerning tree removal and who is responsible.

· Does the Highway Department pick up brush put to the road edge by residents?
The Highway Department does not provide this service. However, residents can dispose of brush at the transfer station during normal hours of operation

· How can I contact the Highway Department after normal work hours if I have an emergency?
Dial the Rensselaer County Emergency Services non-emergency number at 518-270-5252 for assistance.

Hours of Operation

The Town of Schodack Highway Department hours:
Summer hours: Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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