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Orwell accepts $68,000 concrete bid for new salt/sand shed as road foreman reports plow loss and salt overrun
Summary
The Orwell Select Board on Dec. 22 accepted a $68,000 concrete bid for a 40×60 salt/sand shed and approved a $50,000 payment toward the project; Road Foreman Allen M. Alger reported a totaled plow, a new plow arriving, and a roughly $18,000 overrun on the salt budget.
The Orwell Select Board on Dec. 22 approved a $68,000 concrete contract to begin foundation and footing work for a new 40-foot by 60-foot salt/sand shed and placed a $50,000 payment toward the project on that night’s orders. The bid from Myron White Jr. Concrete of Poultney covers foundation and footing work with 4,000-psi concrete and a chemical additive to resist salt corrosion; wall specifications in the proposal call for walls 1 foot thick by 10 feet high and the floor work was noted as "to be done by others."
Road Foreman Allen M. Alger told the board the town's 2017 Mack truck returned to service after a Dec. 11 accident but the plow was declared totaled by the insurance adjuster; Alger said a replacement plow is expected in about two weeks and that a crew member, Mike Shaw, believes he can repair the totaled plow. Alger reported the highway salt line is about $18,000 over budget to date, with salt costing roughly $98 per ton, and said fewer school days over the next two weeks will reduce immediate salting needs.
The board discussed footing work and noted a Barre company is offering a hammer suitable for the footing at about $25,000; members indicated a preference to preserve the existing Butler building for interim truck storage. The town has about $107,000 set aside from ARPA for the salt/sand shed project, according to Chair Andrea Treadway. Contractors discussed an earlier bid from Bud Carpenter that would be honored.
The Select Board also reviewed a Small Scale Local Safety Grant program (up to $50,000, no local match) intended for straightforward roadway safety improvements such as tree or ledge removal, guardrail replacement, or signage; the board noted applications must be received by Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. A wetland permit application tied to planned work in the Burke Road area was included on the night's orders for the Select Board’s review.
Joe Pouliot moved to accept the Myron White Jr. Concrete proposal and Rob Barnes seconded; the motion passed 4–0. The board discussed holding an additional January meeting to continue budget work and next steps for the salt/sand shed timetable.
