Roxbury selectmen press winter‑roads contractor over missed deadlines, paperwork and equipment registration

Roxbury selectmen on Oct. 5 pressed the town’s winter‑roads contractor over what they described as missed contract deadlines, missing inspection paperwork and unclear equipment registrations, and asked him to appear at the board’s next regular meeting with outstanding documentation.

The board — Selectmen Timothy Derouche, Matthew Patneaude and Ray Hodsdon — opened the emergency meeting at 2:00 p.m. to focus on the winter‑roads contract after residents raised concerns that work and paperwork tied to an August 1 contract start date remained incomplete. Patneaude said the board had consulted the town lawyer about options and Hodsdon emphasized that the contract referenced the August 1 date in multiple places.

Residents who spoke during the public‑comment period told the board they were concerned the contractor had not met expectations and urged the board to hold the contractor to the contract’s standards. Patneaude asked the contractor what incentive he had to ensure a good job; the contractor replied that he lives in the town and would make sure the roads were taken care of.

Selectmen discussed several specific compliance issues. They said inspection paperwork for vehicles had been completed during an onsite inspection but the town office did not have a copy; staff were reported to have assisted in organizing paperwork for the contractor. The board also cited equipment‑registration issues: two large trucks were present but one was missing a new registration sticker on a plate and another displayed only a temporary plate; the front‑end loader’s inspection was noted but no registration was seen, and the grader and back‑hoe loader were not present for review.

The contractor acknowledged the August 1 timeline as an oversight, told the board he would be ready if snow arrived and offered to accept an amended one‑year contract with re‑bidding next year if the town preferred. He said a winter‑roads training session was scheduled for Nov. 8 and indicated he would ensure additional drivers attended. He also stated the equipment was registered and insured, and he repeated his willingness to amend the contract terms going forward.

Derouche told the contractor to attend the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday with any remaining information and suggested reducing the contractor’s initial payment because of the unreadiness. The meeting adjourned on a 3–0 vote at 2:30 p.m.

The board did not record a formal vote on contract amendment or withholding payment at this meeting; it limited formal action to adjournment. The board indicated it has consulted counsel and will review documentation at the next meeting before taking further steps.