The stairs are in the upper right in this photo courtesy of Valley Aerial Optics.
DERBY — Public work crews will not be shoveling snow off a steep staircase that leads from the middle/high school campus down to the new athletic field off Chatfield Street, and it’s not because there’s no white stuff in the forecast.
Instead, public works says there’s not enough manpower to get the job done, and a city lawyer advised that maintaining the steps during bad weather could put Derby in a sticky situation insurance-wise.
The news comes out of a somewhat contentious discussion of the issue during a Feb. 13 meeting of the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen.
Apparently during the few snow storms this season, the staircase has been closed to the public.
Second Ward Alderman Ron Sill said Derby Public Works should be taking care of the stairs by removing snow — at least within a few days after a winter storm.
“I would hate for Ms. Payden to find out that she spent $21 million and we’re going to close those stairs down with the first snow storm with 2 inches of snow,” Sill said.
The Second Ward Alderman was referring to Joan Payden, the California businesswoman who privately funded the new field house and baseball/softball field for Derby. The city’s new track and multi-purpose field was paid for by a state grant.
Second Ward Alderman Joe DiMartino, a public works employee, called the stairs dangerous.
“They’re dangerous when they have snow on them. It’s dangerous to remove the snow from them. There’s 97 steps there. Very easily a worker could slip and get hurt,” DiMartino said. “(If) they don’t clear them fully, or don’t clear them properly, somebody walks on there, slips, falls, and gets hurt, it’s a lawsuit coming.”
DiMartino said student athletes can still get from the Derby Middle School/High School campus to the athletic facilities. They just need to walk down to Chatfield Street and use the sidewalk that is shoveled and maintained by public works.
Third Ward Alderman Rob Hyder noted the city’s river walk is maintained during and after snow storms, saying the same liability exists there. Hyder said the stairs should be cleared of snow at some point after a storm, even if it’s a few days.
Ed Armeno, the director of Derby Public Works, said maintaining the stairs is too much for his department to handle. He also raised liability concerns.
“It’s too much to try to keep those stairs safe, given the fact there’s an alternative way to get to the facility,” Armeno said.
First Ward Aldermen Thomas Donofrio asked Armeno whether one of his department’s part-time workers could be tasked with clearing the stairs. Armeno said his two part-timers are already bogged down with other work.
Hyder pointed out that when Ansonia High School used the new football field for a playoff game, DPW crews managed to clear the stairs and the entire football field.
“If we can clear a football field and stairs for another district, I think we can clear the stairs for our own kids,” Hyder said.
“I understand what you’re saying, but the City of Ansonia ultimately paid for that,” Third Ward Alderman Charles Sampson said in response. Sampson then clarified his statement, saying Ansonia had been sent a bill to pay.
“Where is the money to assign somebody to this field?” Sampson asked.
Sampson said the new athletic facilities arrived with costs the city didn’t consider — such as shoveling the 97 steps from the school campus to the new fields.
“This is another aspect that, quite frankly, we didn’t think of when it came to funding,” Sampson said.
Now that the athletic fields and facilities are up and running, the city has real-world experience. That means departments such as public works will have to budget accordingly,
Sampson said, whether that means requesting a new employee or requesting more overtime funds.
Such a request would be made to the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation, who will soon be formulating a city budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
John Marini, the corporation counsel filling in for regular corporation counsel Vin Marino, ultimately advised the city to listen to its public works director. He pointed out Armeno said, in public, the stairs are a liability.
