LEWISTON — The city could rely on private snowplowing contractors next winter to keep streets clearer, especially along downtown Lisbon Street, councilors were told Tuesday night.

Councilors heard a report from a group of seven — two city councilors, two former councilors and three residents — tasked with making the city’s Public Works Department more efficient.

Public Works staff has dropped from 154 employees in 2003 to 107 in 2015, with employees trained to do multiple jobs.

City Administrator Ed Barrett noted that Public Works staff has actually added responsibilities.

“We’ve added areas that they need to mow, green space and landscaping maintenance,” he said. “We’ve increased the number of lane markings they maintain and we’ve seen dramatic increases in regulatory requirements from water and stormwater areas. All of that has been layered on the department at the same time they’ve been reducing staff.”

The group had a host of recommendations that included more reliance on private contractors for winter snowplowing and summer mowing, as well as some vehicle purchases and improvements.

“The final suggestion was the council contract for four plow routes, an estimated additional cost of $45,000 to $50,000 annually,” Barrett said. “This will allow us to increase service levels. It will add cost to the budget, but over time those will be offset by reducing our equipment replacement costs.”

Downtown snow removal was also seen as a potential job for contractors.

“Particularly Lisbon, Canal, Main Street, Park Street, those areas get a lot of demands that we increase service,” Barrett said. “We get a lot of complaints that the snowbanks dissuade people from using those businesses.”

Contractors would use the city’s snowblower and could cost about $25,000 per storm.

“Our estimate is that costs us about the same with our staff,” Barrett said. “So this would free up time in Public Works to address other issues in other areas and improve a situation for some parts of the city that do not feel they are getting the service that other parts do.”

The group also recommended converting the city’s curbside trash collections from free to a paid bag system. Only trash left in special city-sponsored bags would be collected.

Barrett said the committee thought the paid bag system would charge residents fairly, would include multiple family units that don’t currently get city trash and would improve recycling collections.

Barrett said he expects to bring the paid bag concept to councilors for discussion in June.

[email protected]