Niagara Falls Council Approves Return of ‘Pothole Killer’ as Condition of City Streets Remain Major Issue

Niagara Action
4 hours ago
2 min read

The Niagara Falls City Council has unanimously approved a plan to address the city’s growing pothole problems by combining overtime for Department of Public Works road crews with the return of the controversial “Pothole Killer” repair truck.

Mayor Robert Restaino requested authorization to again contract the specialized pothole repair equipment while also expanding traditional patching efforts carried out by city crews. Council members ultimately supported the proposal, though several made clear they want to explore better long-term solutions for maintaining the city’s streets.

Council Member David Zajac said the city must continue looking for alternatives to improve pothole repair efforts going forward.

“It’s incumbent on the council to find other options,” Zajac said. “Finding something other than the Pothole Killer depends on working with the administration.”

The “Pothole Killer” machine has drawn mixed reactions in recent years from both motorists and employees within the city’s Department of Public Works. Critics have argued the machine’s repair process – using a slurry-style patching material rather than traditional asphalt – does not hold up well against the damage caused by Western New York’s harsh winter freeze-and-thaw cycles.

City crews have already been addressing potholes this season using cold patch, which officials describe as a temporary solution until asphalt plants reopen in the spring and hot asphalt becomes available.

Cold patch allows crews to fill holes quickly during winter and early spring conditions but is generally considered a short-term repair until more durable paving materials can be used.

The city previously hired Patch Management Inc. in 2025 to operate the Pothole Killer truck, provide an operator, and supply approximately 100 tons of patching material. That contract totaled $99,600.

Under the agreement approved by council this week, the same service will return in 2026 under identical terms, with no increase in price.

City officials say the machine will be used alongside traditional repairs performed by municipal road crews to address the hundreds (or more) of potholes that appear each year after winter weather damages road surfaces.

In addition to the contracted equipment, the pothole repair plan includes expanded overtime for Department of Public Works employees.

The city approved 84 hours of overtime work, calculated as four additional hours per day over a 21-day period, to allow road crews to supplement the machine’s repairs and address problem areas more quickly.

The overtime portion of the plan is expected to cost approximately $100,870.

Although council members supported the immediate plan, no one appeared satisfied with the status quo for road repair, particularly about relying on the Pothole Killer as a long-term approach.

Council Member Vincent Cauley said the condition of city streets made immediate action necessary. He said he supported the plan because pothole problems across the city had reached a critical level.

Cauley urged city administrators to begin developing a better strategy for the future so that next year’s repairs rely on more durable solutions.