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Wayne committee weighs sidewalk snow‑removal contract and previews 2025 paving priorities
Summary
Members discussed a $6,000 village-sidewalk snow-removal contract that a contractor may discontinue, liability and walkability concerns, road-sweeping and a list of roads tentatively slated for paving or reclamation in 2025.
The Town of Wayne Budget Committee debated whether to keep a budgeted line for village-sidewalk snow removal and reviewed preliminary road paving priorities during its April 8 meeting.
Committee members said a contracted sidewalk snow‑removal service for the village center has been budgeted previously at about $6,000 and that contractor representatives indicated they would prefer to exit the arrangement. Members differed over whether to cut the line to zero for 2026 or to retain some funding given safety and liability concerns raised by walking routes into the village.
"I would be reluctant to go to 0," one committee member said, citing pedestrian safety where sidewalks are next to narrow road shoulders. Another member noted an earlier incident in which a resident slipped on ice and suffered a serious injury, and members said inadequate sidewalk clearing can force pedestrians onto Route 133.
Shannon, town staff, said the town's current contract covers the November–April period and that the contractor's annual fee is paid in monthly installments; the contract remains in place for one more year. The committee discussed negotiating different contract terms (for example, a five-month rather than six-month season) but noted existing contract commitments and that plowing payments are commonly spread across the season.
On road work, the committee previewed a list of routes that are candidates for 2025 surface work: Old Winthrop Road (section from Route 133 toward Mercer Heights), Pond Road and Richmond Mills Road (overlay candidates), Green Tree Road, Strickland Road and Bessie Road (reclaim and binder), and Innis Ridge Road (overlay). Committee members said any road-surface contracts should include sweeping and surface cleanup as part of pre-paving work.
Other budget adjustments included proposed increases in roadside mowing, brush-and-tree removal and chloride applications for dust control; the committee raised the brush-and-tree line to $30,000 and discussed budgeting for two chloride applications to control dust in dry conditions. The group left some items for follow‑up with staff and the contractor and agreed to revisit sweeping and sidewalk funding at its next meeting.
