Nederland to pilot PermaZyme on three dirt-road sections to cut dust and reduce road-base work

Town staff briefed the Board of Trustees on July 7 about a proposed pilot using PermaZyme, a road-stabilization and dust-control product, on three of the town's worst-maintained dirt-road sections.

Josh, the town's head of streets, said staff visited Laramie County where PermaZyme had been used more widely and that the county's treated roads held up under heavy truck traffic. "We landed on the Permazyme," Josh said, and described seeing compacted surface strength and multi-year performance on the county roads he inspected.

John Kane and staff provided rough cost figures: treating all of the town's dirt roads at current rates would be about $154,000 (staff noted an expected annual escalator). PermaZyme representatives and staff emphasized that on-site representation is important to ensure correct mix and compaction; the company representative said experienced on-site installers would be provided to oversee the pilot and to address any issues quickly.

Tom Mahole, a resident who said he walks the dirt roads daily, thanked staff: "I walk these dirt roads every day, and it's made a big difference," he said, urging the board to continue the pilot and see how the product performs through a winter season.

Board members asked about trial duration and winter performance; Josh said weekly evaluations during the first months and a full winter season assessment would inform a decision to scale the program. Trustees indicated support for moving forward and asked staff to return with a final contract/agreement for approval at the next meeting.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the three-site pilot, coordinate on-site representation with the vendor, monitor performance (including through winter), and bring a final agreement back to the board for formal approval.