NYC Sanitation Department Seeking Help To Plow And Haul Snow
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Despite mid-summer temperatures, New York City's Department of Sanitation apparently feels it's never too early to start thinking about winter and snow, following last year's blizzard debacle.
The department announced on Monday that it is seeking bids from private contractors to help plow and haul snow.
In a release, the city agency said that the contractors would help the DSNY with plowing and snow hauling from tertiary streets "as needed" when storms are forecast to bring 6 or more inches of snow.
The agency said it was also seeking competitive bids from tow truck companies to move abandoned cars from city streets during storms, which was a major obstacle it faced during the Christmas blizzard of 2010.
The department said that the contracts would be for certain areas in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said the department was "proactively looking for contractors with specialized equipment."
The blizzard that hit New York City on Dec. 26 left some city streets unplowed for days, causing residents and vehicles to be snowed in. There were also allegations that some workers may have deliberately slowed down because of budget cuts.
At hearings held in the outer boroughs, where most of the problems came to light, residents made clear that the city's response was too little and too late.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg also faced criticism in light of his administration's response to the storm.
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