Pound Ridge’s brand-new highway superintendent had a real baptism of fire.
Joseph Capalbo was officially appointed at the Town Board’s June 17 meeting.
He hardly had time to settle in before the July 4 holiday storm put him to work, Supervisor Kevin Hansan noted in his weekly update.
The unexpected severe weather moved in quickly and hit the Hudson Valley hard.
NYSE&G reported that it had to respond to more than 234 downed wires and at least 36 broken poles in areas north of Pound Ridge. The initial deployment involved close to 400 line and tree workers. Additional crews from the Brewster Division were required.
Meanwhile, the Pound Ridge Highway Department couldn’t clear the debris until NYSE&G confirmed that downed wires weren’t live.
At one point, 396 Pound Ridge residents – about 8 percent of its population – were without power.
Because the most significant storm damage occurred mainly north of the town, utility crews were stretched across the region, and it took several days to restore service to all affected residents, Hansan explained.
“From coordinating with NYSE&G, Verizon, and Optimum to helping manage the town’s response, he immediately demonstrated the calm leadership and hands-on approach that will serve our community well,” he said of Capalbo.
Capalbo put in more than 20 years with the Town of Greenburgh’s Highway Department, where he had worked his way up from road maintainer to road maintainer foreman through “hard work, dedication, and a commitment to public service,” Hansan said.
His experience includes supervising highway crews, overseeing snow and storm operations, maintaining roads and drainage systems, managing equipment and budgets, coordinating with contractors, and ensuring compliance with state safety standards.
Last May, the Town Board voted unanimously to loosen residency requirements for its highway superintendents and deputies.
Under previous rules, highway superintendents had to live in Pound Ridge or an adjoining town such as Bedford or Lewisboro.
The updated law now allows candidates to live anywhere in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, or Dutchess counties.
Town officials, including Hansan, had pushed for the change in order to make it easier to recruit qualified candidates for the position.
Capalbo came “highly recommended” by Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner.
“They think he earned the opportunity to be a highway superintendent, he did so well as a foreman there,” Hansan said, adding: “Clearly they didn’t want to lose him – which I can totally respect – but being good municipal partners, they realized that this is a good opportunity for him.”
According to Hansan, Capalbo “is committed to leading by example, fostering teamwork, and maintaining open communication with both employees and residents.”
As highway superintendent, his priorities include “keeping our roads safe, maintaining critical drainage infrastructure, preparing for severe weather, ensuring taxpayer resources are used efficiently, and preserving our infrastructure for the future,” he said.
Asking the community to join him in welcoming Capalbo to Pound Ridge, Hansan said the town is “excited to have him on our team and look forward to his leadership in the years ahead.”
Thanking the town for the opportunity to serve as highway chief, Capalbo said he was “honored by the trust” it had placed in him.
“I bring more than two decades of public works experience, and I understand how important reliable roads, snow removal, drainage, equipment maintenance, and public safety are to the community,” he said in June.
“My commitment is simple: to work hard, be accessible, and use taxpayer dollars responsibly,” Capalbo said, noting that he was looking forward to “working alongside the Highway Department town employees and elected officials to continue maintaining and improving the infrastructure that keeps Pound Ridge moving.”
“I’m excited to get started, and proud to be part of the Pound Ridge community,” he added.
Hansan said the town’s maintenance department will be “thrilled” to learn that Capalbo also has years of experience managing pools and other facilities so “he’ll be able to pitch in.”
The previous highway superintendent, Vinnie Duffield, retired after 39 years of service.
He was honored with a proclamation from the Town Board in March.
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