Residents press Grand Island board for Staley Road repairs; highway superintendent says town is seeking external funding

Residents at the April 7, 2025 meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Grand Island pressed elected officials for immediate repairs on Staley Road, describing years of delayed shoulder maintenance, clogged culverts and drainage problems that they say are worsening the pavement and flooding adjacent properties.

During the public‑comment portion, several speakers recounted a multi‑year history of promised repairs and what they characterized as limited action from town crews. Jim Degler said the underlying problem is drainage: "Most of the culverts between my property and my culverts are clogged...you'll see is water backing up on the private property," and that the shoulder erosion and subsurface saturation are damaging the road edge.

Debbie Degler summarized prior town communications and said she had been told in 2024 the town had money and a contractor to fix the shoulders; she asked the board, "I would like to know where the money is." Jim Carlson, who said he has lived on Staley Road since 1979, said the shoulder has not been maintained in decades and called attention to the risk posed by heavy truck traffic if nearby clay‑mine activity resumes.

Highway Superintendent Crawford responded during the meeting that the project has had multiple moving parts and changes since one administration to the next and that the supervisor's office had completed funding applications with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's and State Senator Sean Ryan's offices. Crawford said: "When this project was originally brought to a previous town board, they were looking at the fund balances...the project has changed a couple times with additional drainage...I cannot put a date on it at this time because, again, we're waiting on funding and answers from these other political subdivisions." He confirmed the town continues in‑house work on crossovers and drainage while pursuing grant funding.

Residents also raised concerns about renewed activity at the Granger clay mine (sometimes referenced as Granger Pond or Granger Clay Mine in public comments) and the effect heavy truck traffic would have on Staley Road and shoulders. One citizen said the contractor Westfall had prepared a $531,000 estimate to fix shoulders three years earlier, and participants pressed the board to act before additional truck traffic begins.

Why it matters

Staley Road residents framed the conversation as a public‑safety and property‑damage concern: eroding shoulders reduce lane width and degrade pavement markings, and clogged culverts and drainage are reportedly causing yard flooding. Several speakers asked whether the town was waiting for an accident before taking action.

What officials said they’ll do

Officials said they are pursuing outside funding and pressing potential contributors, including federal and state elected officials’ offices, but they did not provide a firm construction start date. The town reiterated that some efforts — for example, culvert clearing and minor drainage work — are continuing in‑house while outside grant applications are processed.

Ending

Board members thanked residents for raising the issues and said they would notify the community when funding or scheduling decisions were finalized. The board did not set a construction date during the meeting and said additional outreach and planning are required.