Roads Advisory Board urges baseline PASER ratings to guide road spending

Roads Advisory Board Chair Mike Oltman presented the PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) methodology and described how the board adapted it for the town by creating separate rating sheets for asphalt, chip seal, and aggregate roads. Olton (sic) explained PASER uses a 10-point visual scale and that the board’s approach combined ratings with a replacement-value cost model and road classification to generate budget estimates for annual maintenance and deferred maintenance.

Oltman said the board conducted a training exercise on Vista West, rating the asphalt section at 3.5 and the aggregate section at 2.5, and recommended the town perform a baseline assessment of all ~30 miles and then set an annual or rotating multi-year rating cycle. He offered volunteer board assistance to complete the baseline in a couple of workdays and Mayor Rok suggested the University of Wyoming's WLTAP as a potential resource. Councilmen affirmed that formalizing PASER would move the town toward data-driven prioritization rather than reactive decisions.