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Broadwater County public works details winter road priorities, equipment sales and staffing
Summary
Public Works Director TJ Gravely told the Broadwater County Commission that winter hours at the Winston solid waste site began Oct. 1, the county sold metal for about $57,000 and an excavator at auction for $12,250, staffing shortages have been resolved and crews will prioritize bus and mail routes for snow clearing.
TJ Gravely, Broadwater County public works director, told the commissioners that the county has adjusted winter operations, completed several equipment sales and finished filling recent staffing vacancies.
Gravely said winter hours at the Winston solid waste site changed to 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. effective Oct. 1 and that the county recently sold scrap metal to East Ridge Enterprise for just over $57,000, above a budgeted amount the department had expected. He also said a 120 Cat excavator was sold at public auction for $12,250; the county had not yet received the buyer's check at the time of the meeting.
The public works director said the county sent a second letter in mid-September seeking repayment of an IRP clawback. “Will we get the 103,000 back? I doubt it,” Gravely said, and added the county will decide how to proceed by Dec. 31. When a commissioner asked how much has been received from that second letter, Gravely said, “It's under a thousand. I've only had a couple people come in.”
Gravely outlined road-preparation plans and the county's snow-clearing priorities. He said lane miles ridden by county crews total “probably close to 500” and that the county policy is to clear bus routes and mail routes first during major storms. “Our policy says that our bus routes and mail routes are first,” Gravely said. He warned residents that in large storms it can take several days for county crews to reach every blocked road and urged patience and personal preparedness.
He also addressed recurring complaints about private plows pushing snow into county roads and asked residents to “plow it back into your driveway,” adding that crews are instructed to square their blades and feather the berms when possible. Gravely said two county snowplows are ready for use and that staff shortages in Townsend and Raidersburg from roughly two weeks earlier have been resolved; the department reported it is currently fully staffed.
Commissioners clarified the county's role for city streets: county crews do not routinely plow inside the city except for mail routes and specific points used to access the highway; some in-county city routes are cleared only when snowfall reaches very large amounts. The meeting record shows county staff and commissioners advising residents not to expect county plowing on all local streets during every storm.
The update included routine road work notes: mowing is wrapping up, rough roads are being graded for winter and crews are preparing drift-prone roads such as Del Deer Road. Gravely thanked the commission for funding a new excavator that he said is “up and running” and “a really good fit.”
More information or questions about county road or solid-waste operations can be directed to the Broadwater County public works office.
