Waste management in the Village of Bellport will become more efficient thanks to a new garbage truck purchased with the help of a state grant.
The state rep that made it possible, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, met with Mayor Maureen Veitch Thursday to show off the new vehicle along with Jason Crane, Bellport’s public works superintendent. The sparkling white truck will join two others in making the rounds to keep the village clean.
Acquisition of the $206,000 machine was supplemented by a $50,000 grant DeStefano secured through DASNY, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the agency tasked with distributing funds to local municipalities.
The price of garbage trucks have skyrocketed over the years, according to the Mayor, who noted that the truck purchased in 2017 cost $153,000, while the 2022 model cost $157,000, $49,000 less than the recent rig. “They blame the higher cost on everything—supply chain issues, inflation, Trump, Biden,” Veitch commented. “It sounds like excuses just to raise the price.”
The new truck has a system allowing the operator to pull directly up to a dumpster to empty it without having to use a chain like the older versions, Crane pointed out. His department was praised by the Mayor for repurposing vehicles such as a dump truck converted to a salt spreader to save money. “It’s always a good idea to find savings when you can,” she said.