Selectboard hears road-foreman report on Felton Road bank, bridge repairs and permits

Jeff Yrsha, the Town’s road foreman, opened the Selectboard’s infrastructure briefing with a rundown of ongoing maintenance and resident complaints, particularly about snow plowing and general road conditions.

Mr. Yrsha said he had “a productive meeting with Megan Brunk and Marc Pickering from VTrans regarding an unstable bank on Felton Road that presents ongoing flooding risks,” and described potential responses ranging from patch repairs to more extensive work while noting that funding remains a concern. He also reported that Scott Jensen, River Management Specialist for the State of Vermont, granted permission for limited gravel removal from a section of Greendale Brook pending landowner approval and advised leaving most debris intact with only limited clearance on Jenny Cooledge Road and Greendale.

On grant timing, Yrsha told the board that Paving & Structures Grants are unlikely to provide funding until the next budget cycle. When Chair Denis Benson asked about Greendale Road Bridge repairs, Yrsha said he had not yet heard from the engineer but “will follow up this week.”

The road-foreman report also raised two administrative items: a pending Green Mountain Power access-permit request that Yrsha asked the Selectboard to review before he grants approval, and an updated Right-of-Way/Access Permit form. Shawna Batogowski asked Mr. Yrsha and the Selectboard to review the updated form; the board discussed implementing a refundable fee to ensure compliance and expressed general support while debating the fee amount. Batogowski will post the form on the Town’s website once the board finalizes it.

The board did not make a formal funding decision during the briefing; members asked staff to follow up with VTrans and the bridge engineer and to return with more detailed cost and timing information.