DGS is responsible for providing a variety of services to the residents of the City of Albany among these are trash & recycling collection, sidewalk replacement, roadwork repair, illegal trash enforcement and forestry. We are committed to delivering these services with the utmost professionalism and highest quality. To achieve this we continue to implement new training programs, policies and procedures that make the department more responsive and more accessible to the residents of the city.
You can obtain more information about the range of services we provide by consulting the following pages.
Nicholas J. D'Antonio
Commissioner
Overview
The Department of General Services, (DGS), was created in October of 1995 through the consolidation of the previous Department of Public Works with the Engineering Office and the traffic maintenance functions of the Police Dept's Division of Traffic Safety. A second phase of consolidation occurred during January 1997 when the former Department of Parks & Recreation became a division of DGS, (excluding the recreation programs). The third phase occurred in early 1998 when the Office of Special Events & Volunteer Services was added to DGS. DGS is generally responsible for maintenance of all of the City's infrastructure and facilities, (except the water & sewer system).
The Department’s mission is to insure that the City’s streetscapes, parks infrastructure, public facilities and natural resources are maintained to be functional, safe, clean, attractive and convenient for residents and visitors alike. Functional work areas of DGS are more specifically outlined as follows:
Solid Waste Management- Responsible for all solid waste management programs including curbside waste & recycling collection for residential structures with 1 to 4 units. Operation of the Rapp Rd. landfill and shredding plant, which collects a total of 250,000 tons annually.
Recycling Program- Manages one of the regions largest recycling programs with a 42% conversion rate. The recycling program includes operations of the compost facility (collection and sale) and collection of yard waste, hazardous waste, tires, white goods, scrap metal, paper processing, glass, metal and plastic.
Code Enforcement- The Department enforces city codes relating to trash, debris, lot cleanups, excessive curbside trash, graffiti, snow and ice removal, emergency residential tree inspections and/or removal, street opening permits and news rack registration.
Street Cleaning- More than 670 City streets are swept weekly by specialized street cleaning equipment, hand crews and two sidewalk litter vacuums.
Street Maintenance- Responsible for the reconstruction, repaving, and maintenance of over 250 miles of City streets and related sidewalks and curbs.
Snow and Ice Removal- Responsible for the timely and efficient removal of snow and ice from City streets and public places following winter weather events. Approximately 100 City vehicles and private contractors managed by DGS are employed for these purposes.
Parks Maintenance- Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of over 55 municipal parks containing over 2000 acres of land, this does not include recreational play structures. In addition to parks DGS is also responsible for Norman skill Farm and over 50 traffic islands & city owned green spaces (i.e. vacant lots, traffic islands and R.O.W). DGS also operates 5 dog parks in the city where dogs can exercise without a leash.
Forestry- Responsible for maintaining the over 40, 000 street trees within the City. Forestry plants an average of 200 trees each year and removes and trims over 1,000 trees annually. DGS operates a shared cost tree program when a resident can have a tree planted in front of their home only paying half of the cost and the city paying the other half.
Gardening- The DGS gardening crew plants annually over 200,000 tulips, 250,000 summer/fall flowers, in an average of 483 flower beds in the city. In additional DGS also plants 880 hanging baskets.
Golf Course- DGS operates the Capital Hills at Albany municipal golf course. The 291 acre facility is a year round recreational facility that includes a first class golf course as well as hiking, jogging, dog walk, cross country skiing and snow sledding. DGS just concluded a 4 year 2.4 million dollar renovation.
Graffiti Removal- In 1997 we created an anti graffiti program to deal with the ongoing urban decay caused by graffiti. Our graffiti buster van is fully equipped with graffiti removal materials. DGS responds and cleans over 2000 locations per year.
Street Lights- DGS has been designated the city liaison to National Grid to facilitate street light issues, new construction, street light replacements and street openings.
Fleet Maintenance- DGS is charged with managing the repair and maintenance of over 417 DGS, Police and Recreation vehicles and heavy equipment. In 2006 DGS partnered with APD in acquiring and installing a new fleet repair and maintenance management system. DGS recently upgraded our fuel system to monitor and control usage for all municipal vehicles.
Graphic Art & Sign Fabrication- The DGS Sign and Graphic Arts Shop fabricates street, traffic, parking, special events, public facility and variety of specialty signs. The sign and graphics director designs and applies all lettering and vehicles markings to all municipal vehicles. In addition the director aids in designing and creating numerous flyers, pamphlets and logo’s.
Facility Maintenance- Responsible for the maintenance, repair and renovation of all 55 City owned buildings and facilities. This includes City Hall, numerous fire and police stations, park buildings, recreational facilities, a 200-acre farm, and other specialized facilities. Central Maintenance staff consists of plumbers, electricians, carpenters and painters.
Special Events & Volunteer Services- The Office of Special Events and Volunteer Services is a division Responsible for coordinating a variety of festivals, parades and celebrations held in Albany each year, and for recruiting, training and assigning volunteers to support these events.
Some Interesting Facts About DGS:
- Over 250 Miles of Streets to Maintain
- Over 670 Streets throughout the City
- 10,050 Streetlights to monitor
- 35,650 tons of solid waste collected per year
- 330,000 tons of solid waste processed annually at the landfill
- 100,000 gallons of household hazardous waste collected annually
- 9,577 tons of recycling collected annually
- An average of 47 inches of snow fall to contend with a year
- 65 municipal buildings to maintain and repair
- Over 300 municipal vehicles to maintain and repair
- Over 10,000 service inquires to respond to annually
- 15,800 street signs created
- 500 garden beds to plant and maintain
Contact Information
1 Conners Boulevard
Albany, NY 12204
Phone: (518) 434-CITY (2489)
Fax: (518) 427-7499
E-mail: generalservices@ci.albany.ny.us