Lynn rolls out new street sweeper; can run nearly year round

LYNN – A new street sweeper has taken to the streets of the city.Last May, Ward 4 City Councilor Richard Colucci laid out a plan to purchase a new sweeper with a vacuum-like device to suck up dirt and debris, rather than the current method of simply sweeping the waste away.Department of Public Works Commissioner Jay Fink said Colucci and Councilor at Large Paul Crowley met with various departments to discuss topics such as trash containers, trash collection, rodent control, a revised trash ordinance and ticket enforcement.One of the main reasons Colucci wanted the city to purchase the machine was that it can operate without water and can run almost year round, unlike the city’s other roughly 10-year-old sweeper that requires water to clean the streets and tends to freeze in the winter months.”Litter is a year round business,” Colucci said. “This new sweeper should really make a difference downtown and in the neighborhoods.”Fink said the city’s cleaning efforts would now be able to continue throughout the year.”We typically park the sweeper in November and bring it out in April,” he said. “Therefore, when the snow banks melt away, the trash that has been accumulated all winter in the gutters becomes evident and is overwhelming.”While Fink said the new sweeper is not expected to compete with snowplows or snowstorms, it would be put into action when the snow recedes.At a cost of approximately $150,000, the funding for the sweeper stems from the Chapter 90 account – funds allocated from the state for various uses associated with roadway maintenance and construction.The DPW has started its annual process of sweeping all of the city’s streets.Fink said signs are placed in the neighborhoods at strategic locations to notify the residents of the sweeping along with a weekly schedule that can be viewed in the Item.”Residents are reminded and requested to remove all vehicles from the streets or they may be ticketed,” Fink said.The DPW is also reminding residents that the next curbside yard waste pickup will take place during the week of April 28.