http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140417/NEWS02/704179914
The Springfield Select Board decided this week to make repairs to Pleasant Valley Road. Photo: PHOTO BY LEN EMERY Published April 17, 2014 in the Rutland Herald One road project takes entire paving budget By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Resurfacing Pleasant Valley Road will eat up all of the town’s $500,000 repaving budget in 2014-15. The Springfield Select Board decided Monday to have the two-mile stretch of paved road undergo a “reclaim and paving” as opposed to a total reconstruction, which would have cost triple that. On Wednesday, Town Manager Robert Forguites said, the Select Board voted in favor of the less drastic rebuilding effort on the road, which links Route 11 with the village of Bartonsville. The decision came despite the recommendation of Everett Hammond, chairman of the Springfield Budget Committee, who has been trying to get the town to invest more in the town’s roads. Hammond has said the bigger investment now will save money in the future. Forguites said Hammond, who is a professional engineer, attended the Monday night meeting, and had sent the board information about his view on rebuilding the town’s roads for the long run. During the budget review sessions this winter, Hammond and the budget committee urged the board to adopt an assessment of each mile of road in the town, so the town could better plan for road maintenance. Residents who live along the road have been before the board in the past to complain about the road’s condition and delays in getting anything done. A full reconstruction of Pleasant Valley Road, Forguites said, would cost between $1.4 million and $1.6 million because it is 2 miles long. The town highway crew had started work last year on Pleasant Valley Road, preparing ditches and improving drainage. But the board decided last fall, after hearing from Public Works Director Jeff Strong, that it would hold off repaving and hold on to $110,000 earmarked for the road, and use it toward a more thorough treatment this summer. Forguites said the $110,000 and this year’s appropriation would fund the road work. Forguites said the $500,000 approved by voters at town meeting in the $10 million town budget would be used on Pleasant Valley Road, with no other roads getting paved this year. “Basically, that’s going to take it all,” Forguites said.
Can't even pave the roads but Shumie thinks we can pay for single payer. What a bunch of imcompetents.
ReplyDeleteWE put our whole budget into a road that has less traffic per day than Main Street Springfield has per hour. Main St is an embarrassment. HMMM wonder who lives on Pleasant Valley Rd.
ReplyDeleteThank you, This is obvious that the rich more important folk live on this rd. Main st. is the eye to Springfield. I am very upset that my new vehicle has to endure damage just to get to the other side of town. Why don't the people have the opportunity to VOTE for what their money is used for? This town is becoming very disgusting. Their are much more beautiful towns in the surrounding area. $12,000 a year deducted in taxes and I get what? A paved road that I never travel.
Delete"ROAD CLOSED" signs are such a small inconvenience when compared to solving the "healthcare crisis" and "heroin epidemic" that never were!
ReplyDeleteNot only are your taxes going to escalate out of sight to "treat" such sensationalized subjects, but because public funding is being squandered on social service sewers, Vermonters' cost of living is going to continue to well exceed the national average because it's infrastructure failings will lead to more damage to automobiles, homes, and businesses.
Not sure I understand the connection between single payer and road pavement. As I watched the debate, it came down to whether the Town was going to honor a promise made to the residents on Pleasant Valley Road last year. Selectman Yesman felt that they should honor the promise made, he eventually convinced all but Selectperson Thompson that they should pave the entire stretch of road rather than just half the road. Several Selectman were struggling over the issue, at least one seemed to be considering going with the better longer lasting pavement, but eventually caved because of the lack of funds in the budget and the previous promise to the residents.
ReplyDeleteWhat if Springfield just hired starving artists to paint continuous murals over the road surfaces so that the town could join in a chorus of "Everything is Beautiful", claim to have the "best roads in Vermont", and then raise taxes again?
ReplyDeleteNow that's an idea. Not a very good idea, but an idea nevertheless. Course we keep defering maintenance on everything so we can level fund the budget, all of the roads are going to be about like Pleasant Valley.
Deletegrind up Pleasant Valley leave it dirt.....bring it to Main St and roll it out. Can't be any worse then what we have now. How is that not a priority ? Can't see it lasting yet another year. Please save it when it comes to putting in colored cross walks and all the other non-sense this towns likes to dole out for, it's a turd you can only polish it so much.
ReplyDeleteI have a suggestion. It wont be the most popular but could be worth saving some money to try. Back when I was younger I used to visit my grandparents. The road to their house was every other year done by a hot tar truck and pea type gravel and then a roller rolled it into the tar. It really allowed for quite a hard surface, although not typical anymore, why not have estimates for this to see if there could be a cost savings to alleviate the bad road situation. And I don't want to hear about road plows tearing it up cause that is bull. It never was torn up by the plows before. Can someone from town read this and suggest it at least? Lets not be afraid to go outside the box. If it got us by for a year or two would be better than shotty patch jobs.
ReplyDeleteDear Old Buzzard 12:01.....when you visited your grandparents there probably weren't such a thing as 'road plows'. More likely there were 'road rollers' drawn by horse teams which would compact snow on top of the road.....GREAT! idea when you're driving a one horsepower Morgan. Not making fun, keep the ideas coming! :)
DeleteIts just that type of smartass attitude that got this town where it is. However, Since I am in my thirties I hardly think your analogy is close to correct. Try again. I will say I find it funny..you people got exactly what you deserved with those attitudes. Enjoy your high taxes, your trashy residents, your subpar schools and your heroin problems...since you obviously have a better solution..enjoy your patch jobs on those potholes as well...baaahaaaa
DeleteDear 12:01 and 9:29....let me put it more succincly then (because you're obviously 'challenged'). Your idea is IDIOTIC!....any questions?
DeleteCould you state reasons why you feel that way, 5:05? I'm missing something in your response.
DeleteWhy do we elect clowns who make promises like this? Yes it needs work, but so do about 50% of our roads. The lack of a proper base and drainage by the road will defeat any improvements within 5 years. Then we get to do it again. This road should never been more than an improved footpath.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to roads, well, we're sort of hoist on our own petard. Because we have cars, we can live farther from where we work and our kids go to school. Because we want to travel safely and quickly, we want good roads. Because we want both to live outside the village yet be able to get places easily, we have to pay taxes for good roads. Does anyone dislike paying taxes that much that they have a different suggestion?
ReplyDeleteThis is the cheapest solution:
ReplyDeleteChange the road signs on both ends to read:
UNPLEASENT VALLEY ROAD