Many of those present came to discuss the state of the town’s dirt roads, and the trees being cleared from roadsides. Martha Macallister presented the board with a formal letter of complaint. Macallister, a summer resident on Old County Road, told the board that the roads in her part of town (Stage, Josh, and Deer Park) are not only miserable to drive, but dangerous as well. The need to drive around deep ruts and branches left in the road by the tree clearers could lead to an accident and a law suit against the town, Macallister said. “The roads were like this last year,” said Macalllister, referring to the lack of grading and resurfacing, “and I had a great expense ($500) to my car ... I assume I will have the same problem this year.”
Macallister questioned whether it is legal for the town to collect the taxes and not leave the roads “in half-decent condition.” “I have owned my property for 40 years,” said Macallister. “I have paid taxes for 40 years. The town only provides me with keeping the roads in shape, which they haven’t. I have not seen a truck working on our roads this summer unless it involved trees.”
Selectboard chair John LaFlamme sympathized with Macallister and acknowledged that many roads are in poor shape. LaFlamme explained that a combination of a FEMA deadline for clearing storm-damaged trees and an excessively rainy summer had caused delays in road maintenance. And even a freshly graded road, he reminded those present, will sprout ruts and potholes in the wake of a heavy rain. LaFlamme agreed that litter from the tree clearing must be promptly cleared from the roads, and assured Macallister that those supervising the job will be asked to ensure that branches are not left in the roadway.
Macallister also complained to the board that much of her lawn along the road has been scraped bare by town plows. LaFlamme told her that the right of way along Old County Road, a “four-rod road,” is a bit wider than on other roads and “extends onto the grass.” Macallister, who spent $1,500 on lawn repair this summer, said that other property along the road hasn’t suffered, “just right in front of my house. If they don’t have to do it there, they shouldn’t have to do it in front of my house!”
LaFlamme, while insisting that the right of way must be kept clear, assured Macallister that her complaints are taken seriously and the crew will be asked to mitigate whatever problems they can.
Marilyn Allen also had road-related complaints. Allen said that although she has seen some “minor roads graded beautifully,” Stage and Deer Park roads, which are main routes to Brattleboro, are “a mess.” “It’s hard to feel that residents’ interests are being looked after,” Allen said. “I’ve lived here since 1992, and I’ve never seen it like this. There are places on Deer Park Road where, literally, only one car can get by (due to erosion along deep new ditching).”
Allen connected the road woes to purchases of large equipment that have been made since the state allowed towns to take on long term capital debt. She questioned whether some machines are too big for many of the roads and have made things “worse than ever.”
Again, LaFlamme cited weather delays and the FEMA deadline as major contributors to current road woes.
Addressing the FEMA project directly, Allen told the board that Marlboro had taken a different approach, hiring professionals to clear the FEMA-identified “widow-makers.” Work in Marlboro, she said, is all done.
“What is FEMA paying for, and how is it paying?” asked Carl Barmen. LaFlamme said that FEMA’s concern is that “hazardous trees” be removed.
“Who’s doing it?” asked Barmen. A combination of subcontractors and road crew members, according to LaFlamme. FEMA pays for a portion of the work. It will pay for subcontractors, a portion of equipment hours, and for overtime work on the project done by the road crew.
Macallister asked why the project had not been done entirely by subcontractors, leaving the road crew free to handle regular maintenance. LaFlamme told her that the town wanted to provide some more work for the crew, because “the budget is tight, and we didn’t want to cut their hours.”
Macallister asked if, in future, the crew would be assigned to “road safety” or diverted to other projects. Future conditions, said LaFlamme, would determine the town’s future response.
Macallister again asked about fresh applications of gravel, saying she had not seen any laid down this year. Jan Nelson agreed. “It’s not like it used to be,” Nelson said, adding that road maintenance was better until five or six years ago.
“I think most of you people don’t know how many miles of roads we have in town,” exclaimed Lewis Sumner.
“Sixty-five!” came the prompt (and correct) response.
LaFlamme explained that the town used to have a gravel bank and could resurface its unpaved roads cheaply. Highway supervisor Bradley Rafus told the crowd that, while the town had once been able to purchase 8,500 yds. of gravel for $20,000, last year’s purchase was 2,000 yds. for $30,000. Rafus further explained that it would take 10,000 yds. per year to replace gravel lost to erosion and grading. “We should have been keeping up with the cost of gravel,” Rafus said, “but we didn’t, because we were trying to keep the budget down.”
Paul Taylor reminded those present that the town had determined that the “budget should remain flat; that’s what the selectboard has to work with.”
Chris Estep called for more open communication, and asked if the board “would consider letting us know the year’s (road work) schedule” in advance. LaFlamme replied that there is no set schedule. The road foreman inspects the roads regularly and assigns crew and equipment according to immediate needs. The crew “has lots of bosses,” LaFlamme said, and gets a lot of complaints. In fact, he added, one citizen had called him complaining that the noise of grading was bothering him, and that he wanted the work to be stopped and done another time. The crew works hard and does the best it can, he added.
LaFlamme agreed that more extensive communication would be helpful and said that a fuller report on road work done and scheduled to be done might be added to the town report.
There was more - much more - on roads, including complaints of mailboxes being decimated by plows, the inexplicable leaving of dangerous trees even as so many are being cut, praise for former road supervisor Wayne Courser, and ditching that struck some as over-enthusiastic.
Edie Fenton said the ditch in front of her home is too deep to empty now and resembles a small lake. “Raise her taxes!” exclaimed Barmen. “She’s got a lake in front of her house!”
The general conclusion was that the more information townspeople are given, the less anxious and resentful they are likely to feel. LaFlamme said he was very pleased to see a large group show up to discuss one issue. “It’s been a good discussion,” he said.
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