Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Roads Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board reviews $150,000 asphalt maintenance plan, salt‑shed repairs and winter road charge change
Summary
Board discussed a $150,000 proposed budget for asphalt maintenance based on RSMS guidance, a proposed increase in winter maintenance road agent charge to $1.25, and options to pave around the salt shed to reduce salt migration near a town well.
The Brookfield Select Board discussed road maintenance priorities for fiscal year 2026, including a proposed $150,000 maintenance budget for asphalt repairs, a recommended increase in the winter maintenance road agent charge, and concerns about salt storage at the town salt shed that board members said may be affecting nearby well water and ground stability.
Select Board members said the $150,000 asphalt maintenance figure is intended to match the recommended maintenance level from the Road Surface Management System (RSMS) rather than to fund expanded repaving. The board sought a prioritized list of proposed maintenance projects tied to that $150,000 so the scope of work could be justified in the budget.
Road agent Chris told the board the winter maintenance road agent charge should be raised to $1.25 (from $1.20) for winter services beginning next year. The board instructed staff to reflect that adjustment in the draft budget.
Members raised environmental and operational concerns about the town's salt storage practices. Chris described repeated salt spill and migration from current storage and said the salt storage area often spills onto dirt, which complicates cleanup and may allow salt to leach toward a nearby well. He proposed extending asphalt beside the building or creating a paved apron from Route 109 to the salt shed to enable trucks to dump directly on pavement and reduce salt contact with soil.
Board members asked for budgetary estimates for apron paving and repairs to the salt-shed approach; one member said a modest initial allocation (suggested $5,000) could be used to evaluate options though several participants cautioned full paving could cost substantially more. The board directed the road agent to obtain budgetary estimates so the Select Board could consider including a project in next year’s capital or maintenance schedule.
Separately, the board reviewed deferred work at the town garage, including the large roll‑up door replacement and installing shelving to clear floor‑stored materials. Members discussed preparing project proposals and the possibility of encumbering funds if a clear scope and bids were available before year end.
No final votes on major road capital projects were taken; the board asked for cost estimates and project lists and left the $150,000 asphalt maintenance number in the draft budget for further review.
