Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Roads Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rutland road commissioner details winter work; Select Board denies mailbox reimbursement claim
Summary
Road Commissioner Dave Sears reported on winter calls, salt usage and equipment repairs, and the board voted to deny a resident's reimbursement claim after staff said the town's policy requires the highway commissioner to inspect alleged plow damage before reimbursement.
Town Road Commissioner Dave Sears told the Select Board he and contractors handled dozens of winter calls in recent storms, reported a current salt stock on hand and described repairs to municipal equipment, including a water pump and a hydraulic issue affecting two plow vehicles.
Sears said he will submit the town's class-2 paving and structures (culvert) grant applications to the state and that he plans to shift a previously planned paving project to a different road because of new information about water on Killington Avenue.
The board discussed a resident reimbursement request related to mailbox damage. Under current policy, the road commissioner must inspect suspected plow damage before the town will reimburse a resident; reimbursements, when approved, are capped at $40, the board said. Staff told the Select Board the resident repaired the mailbox before the town had an opportunity to inspect, and a prior similar case raised concern about reimbursing residents who perform repairs before the town can verify whether a plow caused the damage.
After discussion and a recommendation from the highway committee, a motion was made and seconded to deny the reimbursement request and instruct staff to send a denial letter citing the policy requirement that the highway commissioner inspect damage before payment. The board recorded an affirmative voice vote and the motion carried.
Sears also reminded the board of an outstanding culvert issue on Stratton Road and said the town has about 170 tons of spray-mixed material in storage and has reduced salt purchasing through in-house mixing. He said two municipal dump/plow vehicles were in for repairs and that he expected one to be back in service later in the week.
No additional formal direction about grants or revised paving locations was recorded at the meeting; Sears said he will complete and submit the grant applications and notify the board about next steps.
