Hamburg discusses employee requirements

HAMBURG — After completing the hiring process for a full-time borough DPW position, Hamburg Road Department Supervisor Mike Schneider requested that the borough eliminate the Commercial Driver’s License requirement as part of employment.

Only one truck in the borough requires the CDL, Schneider said, and is hasn’t been used in recent memory. With no other vehicles in their fleet requiring the federal license, Schneider believes Hamburg will be excluding employees they might want to look at in future hiring processes.

Mayor Paul Marino and his council decided to designate the CDL required vehicle as surplus and will be putting it up for auction.

While the council decided to hold off on eliminating the CDL requirement to determine whether it was part of a borough ordinance or not, Councilman Ron Garrett addressed the issue. “What happens down the road when you want a new truck?” he asked.

A CDL license is a federal license that requires drivers to engage in all aspects of commerce vehicle training, Garret added — including pre- and post-trip inspections. “The requirement is there because it helps make sure you’re hiring better drivers,” he said.

The May 6 discussion came on the heels of a DPW hiring process culminating in the hiring of Wayne Poyer. For the position, 52 applications were received and Poyer, already a part-time employee of Hamburg’s road department, was suggested to be hired for the full-time position by Schneider.

Poyer, who was not at the meeting, is currently a New York State resident and will have one year to relocate to New Jersey to fulfill the requirements of the public service position. If Poyer fails to relocate, the borough will be forced to open the hiring process again, increasing the importance of the CDL decision.