Politics & Government

Jim McCloat Put In 'Just a Little Extra Effort'

The retiring Superintendent of Public Works recaps his 25 years of service to the community.

There are a lot of little touches that has put on the Public Works department as its superintendent.

Throughout his 25 years in this department, McCloat and his team have compiled a list of people who could use a little extra help – those who receive oxygen deliveries, those who get dialysis and those who might be giving birth soon, among others – so that if it snows he can have the department plow the area around those houses first.

Each driver in the public works department gets a new truck when he or she starts; McCloat allows people to personalize their trucks by inscribing a name on the truck so that they feel a little more connected to the job and at home.

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Perhaps McCloat's largest touch on the village was starting the New Hyde Park street fair about 15 years ago. He was inspired to start the fair after one of his workers experienced a Polish street fair in Riverhead. This fair requires preparation for about a month before the fair and includes closing Jericho Turnpike at about 5:30 a.m. that day, setting up detour signs and cleaning up all of the debris before people go to church on the following day. Since McCloat started it, the street fair has become the premiere street fair on Long Island. Mayor Daniel Petruccio at the last Village board meeting on Nov. 16 congratulated McCloat for his great work with the street fair and noted that attendance went from 35,000 last year to 50,000 people this year.

McCloat's job at the Public Works department was a second career; he was previously a business agent for a machinist unit. This work required him to travel often and he was usually away from home. Taking the position in the Public Works department allowed McCloat to come home; he lives in Hewlett.

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Despite being a second career, McCloat found ways to put in "just a little extra effort." If residents notify the department of public works that they think they've lost their keys on the street, McCloat said the department will help you find them.

McCloat has also managed to get New Hyde Park one of the lowest rates for garbage, which is about $40 per ton cheaper than most other municipalities. He's able to do this by going to the spot market for prices and by using roll off trucks, which allows drivers to go to the dump when they want to instead of going when their trucks are full.

"It's been harder than I thought to leave," McCloat said of his last day, Dec. 3. "I built a lot of the place." Through all of the work he's done at this job, McCloat has realized that there's "something special with helping people."

McCloat was given a day designation for him on July 14, 1999, according to a plaque hanging up in the Public Works office on Stewart Avenue. According to the plaque, this was given, "in appreciation for his leadership, friendship and loyalty." 

Jeff Reilly, a meter repairman who works for McCloat, described him as a man, "you can really rely on and trust, almost like a family member. I can go to him with anything."

Reilly said McCloat is a team player who will "do anything he can for you." He also inspires his workers to do better work because of how well each worker is treated. "I think everyone here loves him," Reilly said.

McCloat has worked with five administrations in New Hyde Park in his 25 years of service. When he leaves his post, McCloat said that he doesn't intend to "lay around" and instead will be doing work related to liability investigations for some attorneys. This is similar work to some of the things he was doing for the village.

The new superintendent of Public Works will be Tom Gannon, who is the senior building official for the village. Of Gannon and the work that he will do for the pubic works department, McCloat said, "He'll be alright. He's a good guy."

Taking over for McCloat, Gannon said he aims to, "keep the operation running smoothly."


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