Monterey Select Board
Minutes of the meeting of 7/17/06
Meeting Opened at: 7:00pm
Select Board Members Present: Michael Storch, Chairperson, Jonathan Sylbert, and Wayne Burkhart (arrived at 7:40pm)
Also in attendance for the meeting: Barbara Swann, Dick Tryon, L. Sheffey, Linda Thorpe and Jason Dunlop
This meeting is to discuss the town’s concerns regarding winter maintenance of our roads. Comments will be taken and will be responded to after an official meeting takes place.
Town resident Dick Tryon would like a committee set up to look into what other towns are doing and using regarding their sand and salt usage. Mr. Tryon states that he’s had problems with the way it’s been handled and thinks this meeting is a dress rehearsal for what the employees wants to do. He’s angry that a committee hasn’t been set up to research the salt usage and to compare what other towns do.
M. Storch let Mr. Tryon know that his assumptions/accusations are unfounded. A committee can not be set up until we know what the committee is going to do and Mr. Tryon is the only person to date to come forward requesting a committee be formed. The lack of response/attendance to this meeting shows that there are very few residents who share Mr. Tryon’s concerns. In the past every effort has been made to try to resolve most of the concerns Mr. Tryon has had that we were able to.
Mr. Tryon stated that when the former Director of Highways, Donald Amstead was in the position they had an agreement that when the town trucks plowed in front of his house they would shut off the salt. Mr. Tryon states that he explained the situation to our current Director of Operations about 3 months after he started and was told that they do the same salt and sand procedure for everyone, so he’s never approached him again since then. M. Storch pointed out that Mr. Tryon is not the only person that lives on New Marlboro Rd.
Town resident and Town Clerk, Barbara Swann stated that she came to attend the meeting because she lives alone and that since Maynard has been the Director of Operations whatever he’s been doing is being done correctly because she feels safe traveling the roads in the winter time now. She does not feel that there is much salt and that she is very appreciative of the highway department’s efforts because she no longer slides sideways in bad weather. She did ask if there was a way to manipulate the controls so when the truck comes to a stop sign it doesn’t keep spitting salt. Maynard said yes and no and explained that the older computers don’t respond as quick and a lot of times what happens is the spinner on the older trucks keeps spinning and stuff gets dumped when it stops, the
new ones are not doing that. There are 2 new computers and a total of 4 trucks.
M. Forbes stated that the salt that is mixed in with the sand is a very minimal amount (on average about 5% of total mix) and it’s only in there to keep the sand from freezing together. M. Storch brought up a presentation that was done for Lake Garfield by CET, (in Pittsfield) and that when they mentioned the pollutants that affect the lake, salt was not one of them.
A letter from a resident was read requesting that the sand and salt usage remain the same for a number of reasons that were listed and read.
A road with no salt can not be sanded. M. Forbes is able to monitor the sand and salt being used visually as well as by checking the computer’s in the trucks. He can determine the time it was done and how much was put down. Linda Thorpe expressed that if the trade off is to have safe roads to carry the kids on the school busses and lose a few trees during this then it’s a trade off she’s willing to make for the safety of the kids, herself and the cars around her on the road. J. Sylbert stated that no one is disputing that the salt and sand is affecting the maple trees but there is also other problems that are killing the maple trees and several articles have stated that it is very possible that salt has zero influence on the larger tree problem at all.
M. Forbes was asked to outline what he currently does for winter maintenance for this meeting. Sheets were passed out and M. Forbes reviewed them with the attendees. Varying conditions dictates what the highway department does. Salt is put down as it starts to snow to prevent it from bonding to the road. They try not to allow more than 3 inches to accumulate on the main roads and not more than 6 inches on the side roads. Unpaved roads are not sanded until the storm is over. Every storm is different and they are handled as seen fit.
Everyone was thanked for attending the meeting. Nothing has been determined or planned as of yet and all comments are welcome. Salt sheds and their necessity and state requirement were briefly discussed. M. Storch and W. Burkhart have told M. Forbes that they both will be available to visit existing salt sheds in the area to help determine what Monterey will actually need.
The meeting adjourned at: 8:00pm
Melissa Noe, Town Secretary
Town of Monterey
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