Engineer and contractors debate whether to use fabric beneath pavement on North Road

A technical disagreement emerged during the meeting over whether to place geotextile fabric and a dense base under certain sections of North Road scheduled for paving. John, the project engineer, recommended fabric to increase support "especially in the spring when things get wet" and said the fabric and dense grade help roads last longer.

Several board members and contractor representatives countered that the subsurface in places is already well compacted and that disturbing it to install fabric could create new problems. One board member summarized the point: "Don't disturb it because it's hard... it's packed" (Speaker 2), and said contractors and the McCullough landowners were "fine" with paving over the existing base in that area. The engineer acknowledged both views and described the difference as a professional recommendation versus contractor/homeowner preferences. He said, "I recommend doing a base like everywhere else" (John), while also acknowledging the town, as the client, can opt for a different approach.

The board did not adopt a separate motion specifically to settle the fabric question; instead, the differing recommendations were included in the consolidated motion to address multiple priority fixes. The board directed staff to coordinate with Pike and to confirm field conditions during the scheduled site visit.