By Kate Perry-- February 2, 2004

TROY - The city is taking advantage of a pledge made by recipients of public assistance and Medicaid to beef up its Department of Public Works staff.
Certain recipients are required to work several hours each week in return for the assistance, and Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian entered into an agreement with Rensselaer County Social Services to bring some of that manpower into the city.
For the past three weeks, four individuals have been working with DPW sanitation crews, a number expected to increase as the program grows.
DPW Commissioner Robert Mirch said the workers are currently helping on sanitation routes, and as more workers come on and seasons change their duties will expand to jobs like cleaning alleys and mowing grass.
Tutunjian said when the program is at full strength, 12 to 15 of the recipients will work for the city.
While work has been limited to jobs with the sanitation crew, the types of jobs will increase along with the number of individuals who work in Troy through the program.
John Beaudoin, commissioner of the Rensselaer County Department of Social Services, said those enlisted in the program generally work 15 to 18 hours a week.
Tutunjian said he is keeping his promise to voters by gaining free labor for the city.
"One of my campaign pledges was to find innovative ways to get the job done," Tutunjian said. "Finding able-bodied people to work for us at no cost to the taxpayers is one of those ways."
Still, he said, there is a possibility the workers could stay on with the city to work full time if they prove to be capable and hard working, and if the arrangement works out for the city.
Mirch said he hopes that will happen and added that he is pleased with the work being done by the participants.
"So far, the few (workers) that we have are very responsive," he said. "Hopefully down the road some positions will open up and we'll be on to job training, and some can become regular city employees."
Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino also applauded the new arrangement between the city and the county Social Services Department, saying it is an important step toward getting Medicaid and public assistance recipients on the right path to becoming productive members of the community.