City of Albany Department of General Services

City of Albany Department of General Services The Department of General Services works to enhance the quality of life in the City of Albany. The Street Cleaning unit also sweeps over 670 streets weekly.

The Department of General Services aims to provide customer friendly service to residents, properly maintain infrastructure, and provide services to ensure that the City of Albany remains a desirable place to live. DGS is responsible for the maintenance of over 55 municipal parks containing over 2,000 acres of land. In addition we maintain the Normanskill Farm, 50+ traffic islands and green spaces

, and five dog parks. Our Forestry crews are responsible for over 40,000 city street trees, and our Gardening crew plants over 200,000 tulips annually. We also maintain the Capital Hills golf course, which is open year round for hiking, jogging, dog walking, cross country skiing, and snow sledding. Our Central Garage maintains and repairs over 350 DGS and Recreation vehicles and heavy equipment. The Maintenance of Streets unit is responsible for reconstruction, repaving and maintenance of over 600 lane miles of city streets and related sidewalks and curbs, in addition to cleaning over 2,000 graffiti locations each year. DGS is responsible for the timely and efficient removal of snow and ice from city streets, which is done using approximately 100 city vehicles in addition to private contractors. Every week, the Waste Collection & Recycling unit removes waste from over 32,000 households in the City of Albany. DGS also manages one of the largest recycling programs in the state, and operates the Rapp Road Landfill. Our Engineering division manages all projects in the City, providing drawings, maps, specifications, cost estimates, and the supervision of construction on City owned buildings and street infrastructure. Central Maintenance takes care of the maintenance, repair, and renovation of all 55 City owned buildings and facilities. This includes City Hall, numerous fire and police stations, park buildings, recreational facilities, a 200 acre farm, and other specialized facilities.

We may have woken up to snow this morning, but warmer weather is just around the corner and so is the spring deadline fo...
04/07/2026

We may have woken up to snow this morning, but warmer weather is just around the corner and so is the spring deadline for Albany’s Adopt-a-Tree Program!

Want to see a new tree planted at your home this spring or summer? Submit your application by April 15.

If that's too soon the next deadline is September 15 for fall planting.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.albanyny.gov/1995/Adopt-A-Tree
Or email: [email protected]

This webpage contains information on how residents can be involved with our Adopt-A-Tree Program.

03/27/2026

Congratulations to the City of Albany for earning its 24th Tree City USA Award!

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters, recognizes communities that meet four key standards:

✔️ A tree board or department
✔️ A tree care ordinance
✔️ An annual investment of at least $2 per capita in community forestry
✔️ An Arbor Day observance

These standards, established in 1976, help raise awareness, set strong foundations, and celebrate progress in caring for community trees.

In addition to this achievement, Albany has also received its 10th Growth Award! This honor is given to Tree City USA communities that go above and beyond, demonstrating ongoing progress across five categories to build and sustain a strong community forestry program for the future.

03/23/2026
Reminder: The Virtual Information Meeting for the Draft Solid Waste Management Plan will take place tonight from 5:30 to...
03/23/2026

Reminder: The Virtual Information Meeting for the Draft Solid Waste Management Plan will take place tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. The link to join the meeting can be found at: http://www.capitalregionlandfill.com/

02/27/2026

Thinking about adding a tree to your property?
Now is the perfect time to start planning!

The City of Albany’s Adopt-a-Tree Program accepts applications year-round, with two planting seasons each year: summer and fall.

Application deadlines are April 15 and September 15.

It may be cold and dreary now, but if you’d love to kick off summer with a brand new tree, this is the time to apply!

Applications and more information are available at albanyny.gov/1995/Adopt-A-Tree or you can email the Department of General Services at [email protected].

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Our plows and salters are ready and so is our staff for this evenings snow storm. Please help us by staying off the roa...
02/23/2026

Our plows and salters are ready and so is our staff for this evenings snow storm.

Please help us by staying off the roads when possible.

With the Snow Emergency starting tonight at 8pm, please watch and learn about snow emergencies here in the city of Alban...
01/27/2026

With the Snow Emergency starting tonight at 8pm, please watch and learn about snow emergencies here in the city of Albany.

https://www.news10.com/news/albany-county/where-does-all-the-snow-go-during-a-snow-emergency/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPmG6VleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE5N1RTMkRnWDFUR3ZQTnQzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuvtfpZeAvFRhLbBxV9ND0zjfiJfOQWg0zjC9JTpB8p0mhybVel-b5T-WDAD_aem_ZYmT3aIwmGLPA8Fn7f6pTA

The snowstorm took over the Capital Region and stacked snow along sidewalks, corners, and cars — but where does it all end up? With the amount of snow that we have accumulated, it may seem like it…

01/27/2026
The snow has started to fall and our plows are out across the city clearing the snow. If you can, please stay off the r...
01/25/2026

The snow has started to fall and our plows are out across the city clearing the snow.

If you can, please stay off the roads and enjoy your snow day safe and warm inside.

01/16/2026

Our forestry crew works year-round to care for our urban forest. While it may seem unusual to trim trees in the middle of winter, for some species, this is actually the best time.

Dormant pruning means trimming trees during colder weather, when they are inactive. Without leaves, it’s easier to see a tree’s structure and spot potential problem areas, allowing for more precise cuts.

For certain species, winter pruning is also healthier. In warmer weather, fresh cuts are more vulnerable to bacteria and fungi, especially for trees like elms, apples, and cherries. Oaks, for example, are typically pruned in colder months to help prevent the spread of oak wilt disease.

Dormant trimming helps ensure our trees are prepared for a strong, healthy start in spring.

Address

1 Richard J Conners Boulevard
Albany, NY
12204

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+15184342489

Website

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