Public Works Committee forwards brine-tank purchase, authorizes entry for beaver-dam repairs and approves summer hire

The Washington County Public Works Committee on May 26 approved forwarding purchases and operational authorizations from the Department of Public Works.

Deb Donohue, Superintendent of Public Works, asked the committee to move a Sourcewell purchase of two brine storage tanks to the Finance Committee. The tanks cost $36,111.30 each, are 5,000-gallon units with required secondary containment under the DEC grant criteria, and push the cumulative purchase amount over $50,000 so committee and full-board approval is needed. The motion to move the purchase to Finance was moved by Mr. Skellie, seconded by Mr. Wang, and adopted. Donohue said, "These are new 5,000-gallon tanks" and that the tanks will help reduce salt usage; likely locations mentioned were Whitehall and Jackson but no firm placement was committed.

On a separate operational item, Donohue described a recurring washout on County Route 21 caused by a beaver dam where the landowner has been unresponsive. She proposed sending a certified letter to the landowner and requested authorization under Highway Law 118 for the Superintendent to enter the property to address the beaver dam to prevent further roadway washouts. Mr. Wang moved the authorization, which was seconded by Mr. Fisher and Ms. Kerr and adopted. County Attorney Dan Martindale noted that in an emergency staff can act first and resolve later, but Donohue said her department prefers prior authorization and the certified-letter approach.

The committee also approved adding one temporary Highway Worker I position for the summer through August to cover staffing vacancies; Mr. Fisher moved the measure and Messrs. Wang and Skellie seconded it before the committee adopted the motion. Donohue described nine or ten open positions in DPW and said breakage funds will cover the short-term hire.

Donohue further notified the committee that one 2021 Chevy Tahoe with 78,000 miles faces an engine repair of about $15,000 not covered by warranty; the department plans to proceed with the repair and expects to absorb the cost in its outside service budget line. She also outlined three state bills on salt collection, monitoring and shed construction and said she will travel to Albany to lobby for funding; she noted that early drafts limiting salt to a 300-pound average per lane mile would not immediately cover Washington County towns.

Administrative announcements included a county electronics (e-waste) collection day scheduled for June 6 at the Municipal Center in Fort Edward (no cost to the county; residents register and a vendor drops and picks up totes) and discussion of potential interest in the Fort Ann Landfill property. Donohue said she does not recommend selling the landfill because a new owner would assume monitoring and testing costs—she estimated overhead testing at about $7,000—and explained the county would have to remove the property’s public-use designation before soliciting bids.

The meeting adjourned at 10:51 A.M.