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Wallingford council approves $390,136 transfer for townwide paving; DPW says it buys about a mile of work
Summary
The council approved a $390,136 transfer into townwide paving accounts drawn from prior unallocated capital funds. Public Works Director Rob Boltman told residents the amount should cover roughly one mile of milling and paving; residents pressed for clearer prioritization and quality reviews.
The Wallingford Town Council voted June 9 to appropriate and transfer $390,136 into townwide paving accounts from an unspent capital fund balance, citing an opportunity to accelerate road repairs this year.
The mayor said the funds came from the capital and non-recurring fund—left-over monies from the electric division payment at the end of last year—and could be applied to the town's ongoing paving program. "It's money that wasn't used up in prior years and we are transferring it to be utilized with the same intent on a program that has an ongoing need," the mayor said.
Rob Boltman, the town’s public works director (self-identified at the hearing), described how roads are selected and how far the transfer will go. "If you're milling and paving, it's going to get you about a mile of road, maybe just a little more," Boltman said, noting choices consider pavement-surface ratings, traffic volumes and geographic distribution so local roads and cul-de-sacs are not ignored. He added that the recent spring project (10 roads) cost about $1.355 million, roughly four miles at that scale.
Residents at the hearing pushed for more transparency on selection criteria and raised quality concerns about recent work, asking whether contractors meet specified milling depths and whether the town inspects mixes and finish. Boltman said site superintendents and foremen are on active jobs and contractors are notified to remedy any defects under warranty.
Tensions flared when a councilor criticized another member’s questioning as implying favoritism in road selection; the chair cautioned against editorial accusations at a public meeting and asked for direct, specific concerns to be submitted for follow-up. The council then held a roll-call vote and approved the transfer.
The council recorded the transfer vote in the affirmative; the administration and Public Works will proceed with allocating the funds to paving projects and follow up on specific resident inquiries.
