Town finance and highway staff discussed the highway department’s proposed 2026 budget at a workshop that focused on equipment maintenance, winter operations and line‑item reallocations.

The session centered on three near‑term priorities: adding GPS tracking to trucks, replacing large culvert pipes and increasing the maintenance and major‑repairs budget to cover aging winter vehicles. Participants also debated how to use liquid‑calcium and chip‑reimbursement (CHIPS) money to stretch the town’s road program.

Staff and board members agreed informally to raise the maintenance and major repairs request and to set other specific line items. The highway superintendent, Todd (staff member), said culvert work is already over budget: “I’m over that . . . probably $23,000 over right now,” and asked for an increase to address several large culverts identified in a recent report from an outside presenter. Workshop participants agreed to increase the culvert replacement code from $10,000 to $15,000 and to split that $15,000 across a repair line and a replacement line (about $7,500 each) to match accounting codes.

On vehicle maintenance, highway staff requested $140,000 for combined maintenance and major repairs. Finance staff proposed a lower figure. The group agreed to split the difference and set a working figure of $120,000 for those two line items for next year to cover ongoing service and several trucks currently at repair shops.

Cold‑patch (asphalt) spending also drew attention. Historical spending ranged from about $38,000 to $75,000 in recent years; after discussion the workshop set cold‑patch at $50,000 as a middle estimate to reflect the town’s recent usage and equipment availability.

GPS tracking for trucks was discussed as a way to document winter plowing coverage and support liability records. Participants reviewed vendor pricing given to staff: the town’s current line item assumed about $8.50 per unit per month; updated quotes ranged from $12 per month (for a larger rollout discount) to $18.72 per month for a subset of trucks. Staff identified two rollout options: equip just plow trucks (13 units at $12/month = $1,872 annually) or equip the entire fleet (about $2,592 annually). The group suggested covering the GPS increase by reducing the liquid‑calcium dust‑control line from $5,000 to $4,000, freeing roughly $1,000 to apply toward GPS costs pending final vendor pricing.

Fuel and supplies were reviewed. Participants noted fuel volatility and historical spending for gas and diesel: 2023 fuel line items ran around $47,000, 2024 about $44,000, and staff projected a $50,000 estimate to leave a modest cushion for the coming year. Supplies (tires, oils, blades) have fluctuated and some items will be moved to different codes for 2026.

Staff described difficulty sourcing gravel and aggregate under state bid contracts and said they will haul several hundred tons of stone this fall to cover about 17 miles of dirt roads before winter. For culverts and larger capital repairs, Todd said he will pursue grant opportunities and coordinate with the town’s liaisons to identify county or state funding.

The group also discussed CHIPS (state reimbursement for eligible highway work). Finance staff noted that CHIPS reimbursements require the town to front the money and then submit vouchers; reimbursements typically arrive after a lag of several months. Board members and staff discussed using CHIPS‑eligible designations strategically (for example, directing some highway improvements into CHIPSable accounts) so that the town can recover a portion of spending, but emphasized that reimbursement timing and eligibility require confirmation before shifting budget lines.

A separate radio‑system grant was discussed: staff said the grant will reimburse a tower lease and that the needed lease on the Milan tower is estimated at $7,200 annually; grant reimbursement is expected in 2026. Staff also noted an insurance‑provider meeting scheduled Oct. 21 that could affect health‑plan choices and employer premium costs, which in turn could affect the general fund cushion available for highway needs.

Workshop conversations produced no formal roll‑call votes. Instead, staff and board members reached working decisions and directions (setting cold‑patch at $50,000; splitting culvert increases to $7,500 per relevant code; targeting $120,000 for maintenance and major repairs; and pursuing GPS funding by reducing the liquid‑calcium line to $4,000). Participants said final budget numbers will be adjusted as vendor quotes, insurance plan decisions and grant reimbursements are confirmed.

The meeting ended with a proposed motion to adjourn; no formal vote on the full budget was recorded at the workshop.