When James A. Dussing was first elected in 2013 as superintendent of highways of the town of Clarence in Erie County, it came as no surprise. In fact, it was a day he'd prepared for.
"I knew on my third day as a laborer that I would lead the department someday," James said.
Town of Clarence Highway Department photo
Having come up through the ranks, doing every job in the highway department, from picking up leaves to plowing roads in whiteout conditions, countless snowstorms, one major ice storm in 2006 and major flooding events, James was primed for the position when opportunity knocked.
He has worked full-time with the Clarence highway department since 1995, starting as laborer, then motor equipment operator, heavy equipment operator and deputy superintendent.
"I kept a notebook for close to 20 years writing down things that I'd do better if I was superintendent," he said about his interview for the position of superintendent. "I took it with me when I interviewed for the endorsement and passed it around the table."
He has been in the position since, three terms in, and just ran for a fourth and was reelected.
While in college, he'd always worked part-time at the parks department during summers. When an early retirement incentive saw eight people leave the highway department at the same time, he was encouraged to apply for one of the jobs by a former co-worker. He did — and never left.
It turns out that taking notes along the way was a good idea.
"I tend to write a lot of stuff down — what I'd do if I ever held the position of general crew, deputy or superintendent. What would I change, what would I do differently. I always had good bosses, but I knew that there were many things that I could change that would make our department better and more efficient."
With good people skills, a community he knew well (he's a fourth-generation Clarence native), and a good lay of the land, having grown up riding his bike all over town, spending summers camping in the back yards and fields and fishing in the local creeks and streams, he got to work right away.
"At least three-quarters of the items that I wrote about doing, I was able to accomplish, in just the first handful of years of my administration," James said. "I was eventually able to check a lot of the larger boxes including purchasing new heavy equipment, building an entirely new highway facility and changing the overall culture of our department."
Some of those achievements also were long-term plays. The initial discussions about building a new highway facility, to improve the overall safety and environment in which his staff was coming to work every day, began during his first year in office. They didn't move into the new building until 2024. James recalls raising the American flag on the flagpole at the new highway facility on Sept. 11, 2023, as a core memory.
Town of Clarence Highway Department photo
Welcome to the Workplace
The Clarence highway department facility consists of 65,000 sq. ft. office and shop space with a new above-ground ‘fuel farm' (10,000-gal. diesel and 4,000-gal. gasoline), which services much of the town's heavy- and light-duty vehicles and includes a heated DEF dispenser.
Several outbuildings, which were part of the old facility, include both cold and heated storage garages, a wood/sign shop and a wash out building.
Located on the same campus but not part of highway operations is the engineering building and animal control.
Under-cover capacity for salt storage includes a 72 x 100-ft. Hybrid Building Solution fabric structure, which holds approximately 4,000 tons.
The highway department maintains an extensive range of machinery and equipment, including multiple snowplow/dump trucks, heavy-duty mowers, sweepers, excavators, dozer, horizonal grinder, grader and more specialty pieces of equipment.
The oldest piece of equipment still in service is a 1952 Caterpillar ‘knuckle buster' road grader and the newest is a 2025 Volvo L90H front-end loader.
"We have a lot more equipment than we have people," James said.
Since Clarence is a suburban MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) community, the highway department has a variety of equipment to deal with the needs of a modern and still growing community of 33,000.
"We get a lot of compliments on the fact that we have been able to keep our plow routes to four hours from beginning to end. This is, of course, after it's done snowing. We pride ourselves in our snow removal efforts and consider that our number one responsibility above everything else that we do."
The town of Clarence department leases approximately 25 SUVs for the town departments from the general fund but doesn't currently lease any plow trucks or equipment.
James tries to keep the fleet as current as possible, purchasing at least one plow truck per year (when they are available) and one major piece of equipment, such as a street sweeper, loader or excavator with the goal of keeping the frontline equipment in constant rotation.
He credits the very supportive town supervisor, town board and town attorney who meet with him regularly to discuss long-range purchasing and departmental goals.
"We are required to have a five-year capital plan on file with the town's director of administration and finance," James said. "A purchasing plan is prepared, and bonding takes place once for the entire five-year purchasing plan to save on associated costs and ensure the best possible interest rates. We only borrow for larger pieces of specialty equipment and all our heavy-duty plow trucks."
All pickups, trailers and smaller items are purchased using budgeted money.
On-demand heated pressure water and multiple hose bibs in the truck garage keeps equipment clean. Yearly undercoating and deep cleanings occur between season and snow events.
The staff spends time and effort ensuring machines are properly greased and fluids are topped off.
Town of Clarence Highway Department photo
Meet the Highway Team
Approximately 40 staff members serve the 33,000 residents of Clarence. That includes 33 blue-collar union employees and Deputy Superintendent of Highway Paul Englert, General Crew Chiefs Jeff Loudenslager and Joe Daigler, Highway Clerk Theresa Loudenslager, Confidential Secretary to the Superintendent of Highways Jessica Viola, Working Crew Chiefs Lyle Judd, Tim Norris, and Ray Valentine, and Mechanic Crew Chief John Kelkenberg Jr. Part time crew include a seasonal worker and a cleaner.
They work 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekly with some variation in the summer months and have a small afternoon shift from December 15 through March 15.
"This ensures that our department is available to respond to snow, ice and other calls for service 16 out of 24 hours per day in the winter months," James said. "This is also a great way to maintain the shop, clean and maintain equipment and get smaller jobs done around the facility."
The primary means of communication between staff members is two-way radios in all trucks and equipment. Though they use cell phones, during snowplow operations and major road jobs, the two-way is a best means of communications, so messages and important information is broadcasted to everyone.
Computers are commonly used in the office, shop and equipment. To stay in touch with residents of the town, they use Facebook, the town website — where the highway department has a page, and phone numbers and e-mails are all listed online. The highway's Facebook page has more than 2,500 followers.
They also monitor local community pages during off hours and weekends to stay informed on town events. The team promotes and assists with countless community events throughout the year, such as festivals, runs, walks and hosts larger recycling events at the facility when possible.
The annual operating budget is $7.1 million with approximately $5.066 being raised by taxation to the residents, and $416,000 was received from New York State in the form of Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Extreme Winter Recovery (EWR), PAVE-NY and Pave Our Potholes (POP) in 2025.
Because of a $1.3 million Bridge New York Grant, James is working with Clarence Town Engineer/Flood Plain Administrator Timothy M. Lavocat, P.E., to replace the Kenfield Road bridge over Black Creek. They also are working on enhancing facilities at all town parks, senior center and ADA ramps, as well as always clearing waterways, restoring off-road ditches and maintaining outfalls, catch basins and sediment chamber under the direction of Tim and his office.
Town of Clarence Highway Department photo
In recent years, the team has turned to fabricating much of what they need themselves, from leaf boxes to custom jigs for the shop, wing carts and storm sewer grates.
They also make many of their own catch basins and pour much of their own curbing. They designed and installed a hydraulic hose station where they can pull hydraulic hose from overhead reels, measure, cut and crimp in one station.
Day at the Office
The town owns and maintains 127 center lane or 254 center lane mi. and the highway department is contracted by Erie County to plow and de-ice 55 lane mi. (110 center lane). The highway department also picks up leaves and brush on all the roads in town whether state, county or town.
All roads are paved. There are 12 four-hour snowplow routes, 13 in heavy snowstorm just to cover main roads. The snow fighting fleet consists of 15 front line plow trucks (singles and tandems) and have six front-end loaders, including one with a loader-mounted snow blower.
"We run two people in each plow truck if we are plowing, one person if we are just salting without the main plow. It takes 27-plus employees to get all the trucks out on the road for a typical full scrape."
Each plow truck also is equipped with slide in Smith salt spreaders with liquid saddle tanks to apply liquid deicers at the spinners.
There are eight bridges, 98 listed culverts of various sizes, and many of them are small bridges, less than 20-ft. in span. The town owns and maintains nine signals. They also pave their own roads in addition to using several other pavement preservation techniques.
Jamie and his team also assist parks and engineering with equipment and manpower for major town projects, such as paving, drainage and site work. The parks department is separate from highway with an appointed superintendent of parks. The two departments work very closely together sharing equipment and manpower during peak times of need. In addition to straight-time, parks and highway are eligible to work overtime in both departments, if needed.
The highway department is responsible for the town's fleet of vehicles, town-wide drainage district, which includes 151 numbered off-road field ditches and managing a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation registered compost/mulch recycling yard processing approximately 15,000 cu. yds. of material each year where they take in brush and leaves and process for bulk sale.
The Clarence highway team also addresses shared services, including storm response and mutual aid, whenever possible, to some of the closest towns — Newstead, Lancaster, Alden and Amherst.
"We have assisted several southern Erie County towns in times of need with equipment and personnel," James said. "We are situated in ‘lake effect' country at the east end of Lake Erie, so it could be snowing several inches per hour one town away and we are out picking up leaves in the sunshine."
They also store and distribute salt for the school system.
"Our goal is always to get better at our jobs and more efficient than the previous year," James said. "Since the seasons and years are cyclical, it's easy to compare to what or how we did last year. Better or more equipment, training, and attention to detail may be needed. We use the term ‘full steam ahead.' We never stop moving forward. Our motto is accessibility, accountability and dependability."
Projects Past, Present
"Over the last decade plus, we've completed many major projects, none smaller than the new highway facility, which took all of 10 years from the first meeting to the time we moved into the new facility," James said. "We've built several bridges and culverts, completely rebuilt several roads on the north end of our town and dug countless miles of ditches all over the town."
Town of Clarence Highway Department photo
The highway department has conducted and implemented plans from the "North Clarence Drainage Study" to map all the town's on- and off-road ditches, improving the quality of life for residents in the north end. This work included restoring countless old field ditches that were once a vital part of keeping area farmland workable.
James also has implemented several procedural changes over the years, including accountability frameworks for actions and accidents and modernizing everything from the way staff punch in to the way they receive tasks each morning.
A work-order entry program called Town-Track, implemented before James took over as superintendent, tracks all work orders from start to finish and has been instrumental in storing information in perpetuity, providing a record of work accomplished over the years and a reference of sorts to check back on how any specific issues were addressed.
Currently, James and his team are working on finishing up the 2025 paving program, going through the 127 mi. of roads milling and patching poor surfaces and addressing any leftover pavement issues from the summer.
"We will be picking up brush and leaves and are working on a guiderail project," James said. "We have many building/build out projects including but not limited to a drying room for our personal protective equipment and gear so we can keep the mess out of our locker room and have dry boots, gloves and work clothing each morning when we go out on the road. We will be upfitting our new building for many years to come."
They are completely rebuilding two of the north end roads and will maintain an aggressive ditching and resurfacing program, as well as update some large-, medium- and small-duty trucks and equipment as part of work planned for 2026.
"I like the larger road jobs. It is fun to see the results after knowing what the road surface was like before you started the process," James said about his favorite parts on the job after all these years in the role. "There is an immense feeling of accomplishment. I also like seeing the trucks "hauling heavy" in and out of the jobsite as well as seeing the various heavy equipment moving around and making dust."
James attributes much of his professional success to his time as member and leader of the Clarence Fire Company.
"It taught me valuable life lessons and I'm forever grateful for the opportunities that I had there when I was younger. I'd recommend the volunteer fire service for anyone that has the time to get involved in their community."
He also considers himself "fortunate to have many strong role models and mentors, people that I've strived to emulate in my personal and professional life. My parents have been the biggest influence on my character and determination. They really taught me to do my best, be a good person and taught me how to be a good decision maker."
He says his deputy superintendent of highways Paul Englert has been a great partner to work with and credits him with much of the success of the entire department.
"Paul is the ‘best in the business' hands down. I've also been extremely lucky to have a supportive supervisor and town board during my tenure as superintendent. We currently have many amazing employees and have also benefitted by having dozens of retirees that have left their mark on the department and this town. We have had five 30-plus year retirees just this year in 2025."
On a Personal Note
James and his wife, Tracey, recently celebrated their 27th anniversary. "We met and have been dating since middle school. We say 27 plus 10!"
Together, they have two boys — Patrick, who is 30 and who is engaged to Ana, and Nathan, who is 18 and enrolled at Northwest Lineman's College, Florida. Their third son, Adam, passed away tragically in 2023 at 23 years old. They also have a chocolate lab named Sadie. They live in Clarence Hollow.
"Tracey and my boys would say that I am never "off." It has been a problem at times, but the job never leaves you alone these days," James said. "With cell phones, Internet, texting, e-mail and social media, you'd have to be far off the grid not to receive some type of message as to what is going on in your town or at the shop. It's an all-encompassing 24/7 job if you're going to do it right."
As a result, James doesn't find time for a lot of hobbies besides work, but he enjoys his time at home with family and working around the house and yard.
"I am a self-proclaimed boat nerd, and I enjoy following and watching the Great Lake freighters that service the Port of Buffalo and nearby Welland Canal," he said. "I enjoy spending time in the summer with family and friends on Lake Erie's south shore, beachcombing with my wife while she collects her beach glass. I may even be inclined to say that I am a beach bum of sorts, I love the water-especially Lake Erie."
He recently purchased some property in Allegany County and plans on working on it in the future, building a small camp for his kids and (eventual) grandkids to use.
James also is the current president of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highway, a member of the Town Highway Superintendents Association of Erie County and achieved "Roadmaster 4" status from Cornell Local Roads Program — New York State Local Technical Assistance Program Center.
"Being a town highway superintendent is extremely rewarding. I would not change my career path in life for anything. I was lucky that all the moons lined up, and I was able to have the opportunity to serve the residents of the town of Clarence. It has been the pleasure of a lifetime."
About the Town of Clarence
Established in 1808 as the first township in Erie County, the town of Clarence (land of hickory bark) was once inhabited by Native Americans. The town's first real industry was timber, which was plentiful as new settlers cleared land to plant crops. The soon-to-be farmers were able to trade the timber for the many items they needed to build homesteads and working farms. Many related businesses sprung up, such as sawmills and general stores to support the new population. The town experienced a population boom in the 1900s due to limestone quarrying and gypsum mining operations in the area. The National Gypsum Company began its operations there in 1925 and though it ceased operations in 1982, it served as the major employer in the area for many years. Clarence also is home to several very successful companies, past and present. Buffalo Truck and Tractor Company, Wilson Greatbatch Incorporated (now Integer), Buffalo Crushed Stone (now NESL), Dynabrade Incorporated and ICE, which is known for making the famous bubble hockey game.
Some of the town's most famous former residents are singer and songwriter Joan Baez and Pat Wilson, the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Weezer, although Wilson Greatbatch, the inventor of the heart pacemaker and other medical devices was the most famous. Greatbatch held more than 325 patents at the time of his death at 92 years old. He invented the first implantable pacemaker in the workshop behind his house in Clarence Hollow. The town of Clarence has since moved that entire workshop and its contents to the Clarence History Museum on Main Street in Clarence. P
(All photos courtesy of the town of Clarence highway department.)
