Highway Superintendent Andrew Busa and the Town of Sullivan

Lori Lovely – PROFILE CORRESPONDENT - March 2024

"I'm not scared to try things," said Andrew (Andy) J. Busa, highway superintendent since 2017 of the town of Sullivan, located in Madison County. "It's a little intimidating sometimes, but I love the challenge."

Tackling challenges often saves the town money. Back in 2015, before Andy was superintendent, the DEC informed the department that it needed to upgrade the 10,000-gallon fuel tank at the highway garage because the secondary containment compartment was rotting. The job didn't get done and Andy only became aware of the situation when a contractor called about replacing pumps that weren't in compliance.

Andy contacted an engineer, who estimated the project could cost $800,000. Instead, the superintendent convinced the town board to let his department do the job.

"I'm a hands-on guy," he said. "I like equipment, so I was the general contractor."

With him at the helm, the project cost "$260,000 start to finish — including a new island, new tank and wiring and disposal of the old tank."

Streamlined Spending

With a total operating budget of $2.5 million, including $475,000 in CHIPS money, it might seem like Andy wouldn't have to worry about saving money. However, while he spends money where it's needed, he welcomes savings where possible.

When he took office, the resourceful superintendent switched the town's salt and sand mix to almost 100 percent salt because "it's cleaner and it saves money. There's less spring cleanup and the roads are in better shape." That's something he learned at highway school.

He's been able to further reduce expenses for salt this winter. The department's salt barn has undercover storage for 3,500 tons, but because it's been an unusually mild winter with far less than the average snowfall of 115 inches, he hasn't needed to reorder salt.

In 2021, the department became a NYS Fleet Inspection station. Unless it's a warranty item, they now do almost all repairs inhouse, saving money.

"We currently use J-Pro software for diagnostics, and our entire fleet is on a strict maintenance schedule," he said.

Some projects haven't cost the town a dime. The Tag Road culvert project, scheduled to begin in 2025, will be 100 percent funded through a reimbursement program; Bridge NY awarded $1,087,650 for the work after the project met the required criteria, including deliverability, economic impact and the inconvenience to the public factor if it failed. Andy said if the culvert failed, access to service a rest area would involve an inconvenient 9-mile detour.

However, he knows that the quest to modernize the department comes with a cost. "The previous superintendent didn't spend money," he said. "The tail wagged the dog. I spend money."

One project well worth the expense was the installation of a new air rotation device on the office furnace. The 26,000-sq.-ft. highway garage, where the office is located, was built in 1991, and hadn't undergone any upgrades or improvements since then.

The old furnace had an air rotation device to pull in fresh air and vent out old air, but a heating contractor discovered that the louvers bringing in air were closed and there were cinder blocks covering the vents.

"It was an unhealthy environment," Andy said. "Your eyes watered from exhaust fumes. There was soot on the wall."

Under his direction, the department installed a new $46,000 air rotation system that runs on propane instead of fuel oil, painted the walls, put in new lighting and got mini-splits for heating and air-conditioning. "We had a budget, so we could do the work."

Andy also spent money purchasing a new paver in 2021, but that offset the cost of subcontracting paving work. It also eliminated waiting on a subcontractor's schedule. "We control the schedule now."

Although he said he stopped paving for a while in order to teach the guys "how to do it right," the Sullivan superintendent said they put down approximately 4,000 tons of hot mix in 2023, primarily doing intersection repairs and small town roads, as well as a big parking lot project.

In addition to resurfacing the parking lot, Andy and his crew have updated the highway building mechanicals and completed a facelift on the building.

Working in the field during paving season is Andy's favorite part of the job. He said it's important to "keep good roads good and pluck away at the bad roads." Not only does having their own paver help with that, but his crew shares services with neighboring towns, assisting with their paving and borrowing their trucks to haul for paving jobs.

The Right Fit

Andy's experience with trucking, heavy equipment, road construction and heavy equipment repairs shows in the modifications he's made to the department, the projects he and his crew have taken on and his delight in taking delivery of the first plow truck that he ordered. "This job is the next best thing to working for myself," he said. "It fits me very well."

His wife, Paula, a purchasing manager of CPP, agreed. "This position is a perfect fit for him. Andy has always had an interest in the trucking industry, road maintenance and continuous improvement projects. He inherited a strong desire to be a part of his community from his father."

She added that years ago, after a conversation between her husband and the then-superintendent, he came home and told her, "That will be my job someday."

Andy confessed that he's always had an interest in the job. "I always thought I'd like to do it." But his predecessor held the position for 43 years, plus an additional 14 working for the department.

When the man suddenly passed away at age 81, a special election was held. Andy ran.

"I knew I could use my knowledge and experience to make a difference in the town. I'm a perfectionist and a people-pleaser."

Born of Revolution

After growing up in nearby Chittenango, Andy studied business administration at college in Canton, N.Y., where he met his wife. The 55-year-old has lived in the area his entire life.

The town of Sullivan, with a current population of 17,000, was first settled around 1790 by veterans of the Revolutionary War. It's named after Major General John Sullivan, who led a successful campaign against the resident Iroquois. To the north, it borders Oneida Lake, the largest lake entirely within the state.

Officially formed in 1803, Sullivan and its closest and largest nearby village, Chittenango, experienced growth and development due to creation of the Erie Canal, which linked Midwest farms to eastern and overseas markets. As trade increased, businesses sprang up. Even now, approximately 25 percent of the population of central and western New York live within 25 miles of the Erie Canal.

The Chittenango Landing Dry Dock Complex, built in 1856 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, provided dry dock for canal boats. Abandoned when this section of the Erie Canal was bypassed by a new barge canal in 1917, it is undergoing restoration. One of the buildings houses the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum.

Other local attractions in the area include Chittenango Falls — a state park with a picturesque 167-foot waterfall; the Wild — a wild animal park near Chittenango; YBR Casino and Point Place Casino.

Among Sullivan's biggest claims to fame is that it's the former home of L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz.

Tackling Big Projects

Within Sullivan, the highway department is responsible for maintaining 190 lane miles plus another 101.8 miles under a county snow and ice agreement. For snow removal, the seven routes — all paved — take approximately 3.5 hours each.

With winter hours of 7 a.m.-3 p.m. and 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Monday through Friday, and summer hours of 6 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Andy and his crew focus on routine road maintenance and culvert projects.

"I love that work," he said, pointing out both the challenges of big culvert jobs like those on Dyke and Tuscarora Roads and the savings they achieve by doing the work themselves, with assistance from county crews in assembling the culverts. "Towns don't typically do projects this big. We save hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm so proud of that."

Unfortunately, an employee was injured after falling off a ladder on the Dyke Road culvert project. "It was my worst day on the job," Andy said. Because the insurance company's first question was about safety meetings, the superintendent launched Toolbox Talks in 2019 — a casual monthly gathering, sometimes over pizza, to discuss safety hazards and procedures.

The highway department also took over responsibility for the sewer department — although one memorable project was technically beyond the scope of their duties. Andy received calls from a couple with water in their basement. The groundwater was running in, so they were pumping it out onto the road. "That was a safety issue," he said, pointing out that the road became icy because of it.

"We had an argument," he added. "We didn't have to help him, but we did. We dug up the sewer line, which had #2 stone wrapped around the pipe." They dug 12 feet deep and built a clay dam where the pipe was headed to the house to keep water from going into it.

Later, while he was searching for a developer for the town's website (www.townofsullivanhighway.com), he noticed a familiar address on one of the listings: the wife worked at home as a website developer. He called her. "They appreciated our help so much, she did the website for free," Andy said.

She even added something that helps the department be more efficient: a work request tab that allows the public to post work that needs attention. "It's one of the biggest accomplishments for communicating with the public. You can even get road closure notifications e-mailed if you sign up."

While members of the community can alert the highway department to work that needs to be done, Andy often sees it before it's reported. After a motorcycle accident following his first election left him with a broken toe, broken foot and injured calf, he bought a bicycle to help build muscle as part of his rehab.

Since then, he either runs 20-25 miles a week or rides his bike, usually on Wednesday nights and some Saturdays with friends. While pounding the pavement, he takes note of issues around the town that he needs to address.

Smooth Crew

Two-way radios and cell phones are used for effective communication with the crew. Andy also uses GPS to track the vehicles. This allows him to respond to customer questions, complaints and calls.

He also uses ARCGIS for highway inventory. "It's a collector app," he said.

He hired an intern to put the town's road inventory on the app; then, he color-coded it for plow routes. Next, the intern did sign inventory. "We found out we had six to seven more signs per mile than average."

They've also completed culvert inventory and catch basin inventory, documenting clean-outs, and are working on road inventory.

"I like technology," Andy said. "It helps us be more efficient. We're job-costing everything in sewer and now in highway. It helps to have real numbers on jobs for FEMA reimbursements if needed."

Andy, who will run for re-election in 2028, plans to continue streamlining his department to make it more efficient. "Our department is A-plus," he said. "In seven years, it's never run smoother. Everyone is in sync — but it took a lot of trial and error to get there."

When he took office, Andy hired a lot of new people — in part, to replace several who were retiring. He quickly recognized that "there was some resistance to new ideas."

Having managed three to five employees at his own company, A.J. Busa Trucking Inc., before taking on this role, the father of two (Brooke, 26, and Drew, 21) knows how to work with people. He was able to win over the crew and now has a cohesive team. "I truly believe you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with and this is why our department is so successful.

"I'm easy to work for," he said, adding that he likes self-motivated employees. "All I request is that they come to work and care."

While he considers himself easy to work for, Andy admitted that he's very critical and demands a lot from his employees. "The fuel tank job was tough at first, as we were learning. But my guys work. Our community knows how hard our department works. Now we get compliments."

His staff includes 11 full-time employees:

• Willy Ostrander
• Ron Kingsley
• A.J. Salay
• Carl Magdziuk
• Zach Beley, deputy highway superintendent
• Kurt Morris
• Neil Sanders
• Josh Holtham
• Tanner Smith
• Scott Renshaw
• Anthony Mason

There are also three part-time employees:

• Dan Jones
• Mary Cate Voss, highway assistant to Andy Busa
• Jacob DeFrees

Change, Challenge

Now in his second four-year term, Andy has learned a lot and done a lot. "For me, it's the challenge. It can't be the status quo. I'm a worker."

In addition to snow clearing and culvert projects, his agenda includes excavating for other towns and counties as part of a shared services agreement. Some of his long-term goals include continuing to develop a pavement maintenance program and working on drainage projects. He also hopes to expand the town's website and build a new breakroom.

He participated on a Bridge NY committee, which taught him about the scoring process and how to meet the criteria to acquire funding for bridge projects. He's a member of the New York State Association of Town Highway Superintendents and currently serves as president of the Town Superintendents Association of Madison County.

As his wife said, "Andy is one of the lucky ones who can say they enjoy going to work every day." Some days, his two Great Danes even tag along with him.

Knowing that he had big shoes to fill because his predecessor was loved by the community, Andy takes comfort in knowing he's doing a good job.

"I've made a difference in how the town looks — the trees are trimmed, we painted roads that had never been painted. I'm ahead of the curve. I took something that was broken, fixed it and put a system in place."

He gets along well with the town board and the new supervisor, but there's another challenge on the horizon. "We'll see if they support me in the re-election in 2027," he joked. P