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Residents and board members press for oversight after repeated emergency spending on Slaughterhouse Bridge
Summary
A resident raised concerns about recurring emergency repairs and oversight for Slaughterhouse Bridge, citing past unbudgeted expenses and differing contractor estimates. Board members discussed bridge inventory, subcommittee activity, and the need for planning and preventive measures.
A member of the public and several select board members pressed town leaders for clearer oversight and planning after recurring emergency repairs at Slaughterhouse Bridge and other local bridges.
Chris Bradley (public commenter) reviewed documents and meeting minutes showing emergency repairs and inconsistent cost figures across meetings. Bradley said the town paid for emergency work when VTrans reduced the posted weight limit to 6,000 pounds, and he questioned whether earlier contractor recommendations had been followed. He cited multiple figures from past meetings: one figure referenced in minutes as roughly $70,000 (decking/approach repairs), other material in the packet showing a $73,725 repair approved in 2022, and a 2025 estimate near $142,000 for under-bridge structural work. Bradley asked whether earlier remedial recommendations were acted upon and whether the town had bypassed purchasing policies by using a single contractor estimate.
Board members and staff clarified that the 2022 spending (around $70,000) related to surface and approaches, while the 2025 work (about $140,000) addressed structural elements beneath the bridge; a separate full replacement estimate from a contractor (Daniels) dated from 2022 (listed at approximately $720,000) was in the record. Board members acknowledged repeated unbudgeted expenditures and said they have been budgeting in recent cycles for bridge repairs; they also said the Highway Planning and Project Oversight subcommittee would resume attention on bridge inventory and planning. The board discussed preventive measures the town could have applied earlier (for example, box drainage recommended by VTrans) and asked the manager to ensure the subcommittee and manager provide stronger oversight and follow-up on engineering recommendations.
Several board members asked for an inventory of bridges, written work plans for 2025, and the original proposals and estimates from contractors to better understand options (patching, replacement, steel reinforcement) and long-term costs.
