Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Selectboard hears road, bridge and grant updates; owner reports damaged bridge on abandoned town road
Summary
During public comment a resident reported flood damage to a bridge on Town Highway 21; the Selectboard discussed repair, reclassification and town options. The board also reviewed road maintenance, a $2,500 contractor proposal, truck repair versus replacement, backhoe rental estimates, BRIC and USDA grant submissions, and ongoing FEMA recovery delays.
At the May 27 meeting the Woodbury Selectboard heard public comment from David Barber, who described a damaged stone-and-earth bridge on Town Highway 21 that provides his only access to the back of his property. "This is the only way I have to get to the back of my property," Barber said, describing flood damage in 2023 that worsened after recent rains and beaver activity.
Board members and road staff discussed three principal town options: request discontinuance of the class 4 road (which triggers a statutory process), reclassify the route as a trail (which preserves a right-of-way but shifts maintenance expectations), or permit owner-funded repair with town permission. The town asked Peter (road staff) to inspect the site and report back. The board noted reclassification or discontinuance can have unintended consequences for future access and that work in waterways will also require state permits or involvement from natural-resources agencies.
In operations updates, road staff reported a local contractor offered to remove a problematic ledge near Wheeler to prevent culvert plugging for roughly $2,500 while the contractor's equipment is in the area; the board was supportive pending budget confirmation. The board also discussed the town's older municipal truck (a "5-50" unit): recent work on exhaust and turbo summed to roughly $12,000 and a quoted motor replacement was cited at about $15,000. Members asked staff to gather prices for smaller one-ton trucks and to estimate total lifecycle costs so the town can compare repairing the existing truck to buying a smaller replacement before the scheduled 2028 replacement.
Staff proposed renting a backhoe for a month to clear multiple buried culvert ends across town; a rental quote of about $3,900 (including delivery) was discussed. The board instructed staff to gather rental-versus-hire pricing and to check available equipment-rental budget lines before authorizing work, noting prior-year equipment rental overruns.
On grants and larger projects, staff reported the BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) application for Buck Lake Brook has been submitted; the town would carry a reduced match (10%) because it qualifies as a poor rural community. Design work on a USDA watershed/bank project is under way, with future RFPs and contractor scheduling to follow. The board was told these projects likely stretch into future fiscal years and that local match is often met with in-kind town equipment and labor rather than large cash payments.
The meeting also included a lengthy FEMA recovery update. The town's recovery lead reported that FEMA and state program staff turnover and scope-of-work changes have delayed final reconciliation of two projects; the town noted an estimated $814,000 in project obligations is still under review and that state and federal follow-up is required to finalize awards and avoid repayment obligations. The board discussed having the recovery timeline and correspondence available as public records and continuing outreach to state and federal contacts.
No formal contract awards or appropriations for roads were approved at the meeting; staff were authorized to collect quotes and return with firm estimates and budget recommendations. The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m.
