Director of Chenango County Department of Public Works Operations and Assemblyman Joe Angelino pose in front of the new John Deere 5095 tractor. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH - Chenango County’s Department of Public Works had been in desperate need of a new mowing tractor to maintain the County’s 616 lane miles of roadside vegetation.

For the past few years, the County struggled to keep their aging mowing tractors on the road and oftentimes were forced to rent a tractor just to keep up with the growing roadside vegetation. When it came to purchasing a new mowing tractor there just wasn’t enough money in the budget to purchase that and all the other equipment the Department of Public Works needed.

With the roadside vegetation growing out of control, Assemblyman Joe Angelino reached out to see if he could help with the problem. The solution came in the form of a CREST grant, administered through the Dormitory Authority (DASNY) for $100,000, this left a much more affordable $23,000 balance for the County to take from their funds to cover the cost of the new roadside mowing tractor and attachments.

With the help of Assemblyman Angelino and his staff, the Chenango County Department of Public Works was able to get the grant approved and purchase a new John Deere 5095M tractor with a 75-inch Diamond side mount flail mower and a 102-inch offset rear flail mower from Stephenson Equipment Inc. of Syracuse NY.

“I was proud to present Chenango County with this important funding to buy a new roadside  tractor mower. I am happy to play a small part in keeping our community and roadways beautiful for commuters and residents alike, as well as keeping the roadways safe by ensuring foliage isn’t  blocking any road signs or line of sight views at intersections,” said Angelino.

Assemblyman Angelino represents the 121st  Assembly District, which includes parts of Broome County, Delaware County, Madison County, Chenango County and Otsego County. Follow Assemblyman Angelino on Facebook  here.

- Information from the Office of Assemblyman Angelino