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Effingham board debates sand, salt and rising winter-road costs after heavy ice storms
Summary
Board members and public works staff warned that an unusually ice-heavy winter has strained sand and salt supplies and could push the town over its current material budget; options discussed included shifting more to salt, limiting sand on pavement and increasing next year’s allocation.
Public works officials and Selectboard members spent an extended portion of the meeting reviewing winter maintenance operations and budget implications.
One board member said the town budgeted $74,000 for Windham Road material and had already spent about $50,000, with roughly $31,000 of the outlay on salt. Staff estimated a unit price for winter sand at $10 per yard and an annual combined usage at about 2,000 yards between two storage sites. Officials warned that heavy ice events — which have become more frequent this season — require more sand and fuel, and increase contractor and overtime costs.
Board members discussed operational options including using salt more on paved roads and saving sand for traction on dirt roads, and whether to accept higher short-term expenditures or adjust contractor practices. The board asked staff to continue monitoring usage and to provide updated quotes and unit-cost information before finalizing fall/winter budget recommendations.
Why it matters: Road-material costs and contractor expectations directly affect the highway budget and, by extension, property taxpayers. Officials said they will try to postpone nonessential purchases while getting reliable quotes and will revisit the highway-material allocation at the next budget work session.
