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Road commissioner warns of missed plowing, staffing trouble after Thanksgiving storms
Summary
Hope Road Commissioner John Monroe told the Select Board the town experienced missed plowing and sanding on Nov. 28–29, citing an accident and a contractor driver who quit; Monroe reported about $6,000 in salt used over two storms and the board scheduled follow-up for Dec. 26.
John Monroe, Hope’s Road Commissioner, told the Select Board on Dec. 10 that parts of town were left unplowed and unsanded during storms on Nov. 28–29, and that at least one vehicle slid off the road on Nov. 28.
Monroe said he could not reach the town’s plowing contractor on the evening of Nov. 28 until 6:54 p.m., and that the contractor later told him a driver had quit, leaving “only one for the Town of Hope at the moment.” He said a follow-up complaint about Ludwig Road on Nov. 29 led him to inspect the route at 11:30 a.m. and find it not yet treated.
Monroe also told the board the contractor had requested more salt and that the town had already spent roughly $6,000 on salt across the two storms, a level Monroe described as concerning given that winter was only beginning.
Select Board members discussed possible responses to what Monroe described as a breach of contract by the plowing company but made no decision at the meeting. The board scheduled continued discussion and potential action for its Dec. 26 agenda, and asked staff to document the incidents (the board had previously directed installation of cameras at the sand shed to track truck use).
The report raised public-safety and contract-management questions for the board to address before the heavier winter season; the board did not take immediate formal action beyond scheduling follow-up.
