Highway Department update
By WHITNEY JOSEPH - Editor
June, 25, 2009
NORTH EAST — As per standard practice, town Highway Superintendent Robert Stevens presented a report on his department’s status at the Town Board’s business meeting. During his June 11 report a number of issues were addressed.
2009 expenditures
The Town Board discussed expenditures made by the Highway Department in 2009 after Stevens sat down at the boardroom table. So far, $193,000 has been spent on general repairs. The town has 32.8 miles of road for the department to tend to.
Some of the repairs made thus far have been to Perotti Road, Morse Hill Road and beyond, and include improvements, reclamations, shoulder work and more. Town Supervisor Dave Sherman said the Highway Committee has already discussed the matter with Stevens, including what can be covered by state aid and what the town must pay for out of its own coffers. According to Sherman, next year state aid will by “shy,” and the town “will only be able to do what it can.”
The board moved to approve the expenditures, which it did with unanimous support (Councilman Dan Briggs was absent from the meeting). The board then circulated two original copies of the resolution for those present to sign off on.
Trimmer replacement needed
The next topic discussed was about equipment, specifically a trimmer Stevens said was getting “very tired” and needed to be replaced. He spoke of a bid from the Millerton Coop for a similar tool that he considered fair.
Sherman pointed out the town has done more trimming lately and that it needs a more powerful tool than a standard residential trimmer.
Town Councilman Dave McGhee agreed, and added that not even a lawn mower would suffice.
“If you go along and mow you can’t mow, but with a trimmer you can buzz right over stuff,” he said.
Stevens said the town currently has some equipment that helps, but the trimmer he’s looking to purchase is truly needed to do the work at hand. It’s also an item he budgeted for in this year’s fiscal plan.
The actual items to be purchased include a trimmer and a head trimmer attachment. Both were approved by the board.
Truck purchase status
Stevens next raised the issue of the truck the town was looking to purchase. The Town Board had asked him to check into a 4,500-pound Dodge, which he discovered was $900 less than the 5,500-pound truck it favored. The glitch? Stevens said he’s not sure where GM is going with its medium-duty truck production (which both trucks are considered).
“That puts a wrinkle in things,” Sherman said, when then the conversation turned to considering larger vehicles. “We’re going to have to be very careful not to get into payments that are too high. We want to weather through this downturn. You’re not going to be able to purchase that without putting a dent somewhere else in our funds. You’re talking a good piece of change.”
Sherman suggested the Highway Committee sit down once again with Stevens, this time to talk about truck options for the department. The supervisor added that the town already sold off its previous truck, which he said was “not usable” for its purposes, and that it’s “not a matter that we burnt our bridge” in making that sale.
“The $900 doesn’t cut it as far as making a difference,” Sherman added. “This is a key issue as far as dealing with GM and dealing with Chrysler.”
“As far as dealing with parts and maintenance, how hard will it be to get parts and do repairs?” asked Councilman Carl Stahovec. His question went unanswered.
Sherman said he felt the 5,500-pound truck was “still a better vehicle than what we just had.”
Stahovec said he would still like more information.
Councilman Tim Shaffer expressed uncertainty.
“I don’t feel very secure,” he said.
“Well, we know our situation,” Sherman said. “We just don’t know what’s up on the manufacturer’s side. Something’s going to happen. I think we’re going to know, hopefully, in a month or two.”
Maintenance
The conversation then moved to a few maintenance matters. The department’s 1998 Ford pickup truck needs a new starter and muffler. A 2002 Chevy pickup, meanwhile, is due for inspection.
There’s also a tractor that needed “quite a bit of work,” according to Stevens. That work was done in-house, but despite that the repairs still managed to be expensive. The tractor, which has 6,000 hours on it, needed a piece that slides in and out to adjust the wheels. Stevens said the work “turned out nicely.”
Two plow trucks had bad wheel seals and bad brakes; work was done to make the appropriate repairs. A 1995 Ford truck with a broken cylinder and speedometer had a new dash unit installed, while a 2000 plow truck has a dash board that needs work. There is also a back hoe that needs its throttle and switching brake replaced. Lastly, there’s a roller with cooling issues and forward and reverse issues, according to the highway superintendent.
© Copyright 2009 by TCExtra.com
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