Picking up from a post on March 1, 2015
After contacting the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and speaking with some very nice folks with some very good information. There were actually people there answering their telephone and were very helpful. I inquired about any rule, regulation or law that might affect Templeton in having to clean catch basins at any certain time. The gentleman took a few minutes to look and came back to inform me that he found no such requirement under the current permit Templeton operates under. A permit, MS 4 from the federal government Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not currently specifically call for any time frame. I was informed that there are some changes / updates in the works.
Now, I never said the MA state DOT method of snow & Ice was the perfect way, but they do in principal do a few things good. Use salt and liquid for anti-icing and de-icing. Plain road salt works well down to about 18 degrees F.
Deicing is the reactive application of snow & ice melting products on driving or walking surfaces, to melt existing hard pack / remaining snow & ice on the surface. Deicing is typically performed after snow removal ops. or during ice events, and many times, depending on temperatures and time of application, requires multiple applications to effectively melt all surfaces if anti-icing (pre-treating) methods are not done. (fm. SIMA page)
Ant-icing is the pro-active application of ice & snow melting products on driving and walking surfaces before a snow storm or ice event. As in the weather peeps say it is going to snow about such n such a time, be ready! Anti-icing applications prevent snow 7 ice from bonding to the pavement which helps prevent hard pack and build up from forming and allowing snow & ice to be cleared more easily. When applied properly, anti-icing applications are a safer and more cost efficient option to combine with de-icing applications vs. only de-icing. Remember, sand has NO de-icing or anti-icing qualities.
SIMA = snow & ice management association
From the American public Works association - optimized snowplow routing using the A* artificial intelligence algorithm can save 12% on plowing costs. One of the main responsibilities of highway and public works superintendents is removing snow from roads during winter months. Developing optimal and efficient routes can minimize deadheading (plow truck is moving but plow is up) minimize number of U-turns, balance work loads and adapt routes to varying snowstorm durations and intensities.
Highway authorities have a responsibility to deliver the safest driving conditions while maintaining economically sustainable operations. It may be time to change our decision making process to consider the total costs of operations rather than simply buying the lowest cost products. The hidden costs of selecting the so-called cheapest option ends up costing more, but in the area of winter roads management, it comes with a much higher price tag over the long haul.
while every storm is different, it is not uncommon to find many applicators (you) requiring fewer passes over the same ground because the original product used was strong enough to keep providing longer lasting residual protection. Road salt works better than sand and it actually melts snow. You use less there fore you spend less time out on the road applying it which saves fuel. On the flip side, it may require fewer hours of workers to clear roads which equals less OT hours and helps to reduce snow costs and does that lower deficit spending?? How does one know unless they are willing to try!
Just because some think sand has worked all these years so it must be the best does not actually mean it is the best way. Take the past use of free cash in Templeton, seemed like a good way for a number of years and then.............oopsie! Without a doubt, the first thing needed is a larger starting point in the dollars for snow & ice. First things first, get audit done so we may have some free cash, then perhaps we can have a stabilization fund for snow & ice and then we need some effort on the highway supt. to find some ways to save some money or become more efficient on snow & ice.
Suggestion for the day, stop putting cold patch on top of cold patch on top of cold patch. Stop buying equipment with road money and use it to fix roads. Cut out bad patches of roads where there are pot holes on top of pot holes and patch them with black top. Then men do not have to spend hours driving around town patching these pot holes. This saves a little fuel dollars and frees the men up to do other projects. Now since it is newspaper headlines that Templeton budget is bare bones, why should the taxpayers see any Town (taxpayer) owned vehicles parked in private driveways? No employee should be taking a town owned vehicle home, there does not seem to be any money to be supplying "company cars" Town employees should be driving their own vehicles to the office, just like taxpayers do. I believe that would be a policy decision under the job of the BOS. I believe the contract of the fire chief states if the chief lives in town, the vehicle can be driven home, but if the chief lives out of town, the vehicle needs to be parked in Town.
Jeff Bennett
Jeff i would think the axe you grind is getting sharper with every post. It bothers me that all the ideas you post here didn't get done on your watch.WHY? The highway department could be more or less and the axe i guess would still be an issue for you.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing here that is a fact you changed nothing when you could have.WHY? If you want change you know the way to do it. Get the people to sign and vote and wala. I have a problem with the people in town who armchair quarterback. That is easy and without any responsibility for the outcome is light duty for sure. I could say things about this town and have people upset but i'd rather put my action to help out when i can to keep the people in charge honest and open about the way our town gets treated. Both the money and the ability is under watch all the time. I've said time and time again the way we do it at the highway is as safe as we can make things for the money. Untill we have all new heated roads with solar inserts we may keep things the way they are. Our attention needs to be focused on the new budget and when we can save the millions you think we need to spend in road repairs. Heres a thought down south where my daughter the nurse practitioner lives in Tennessee they have started to grind all the roads in poor shape. There go the pot holes you complain about. No cold patch needed and will free up the help to grind more roads down to a smooth texture you will like. It will cut down on sand cleanup as the sand will level it out naturally. Guess what it will keep from police radar as the people would need to slow down and smell the roses as they drive by. We could trade in the sweeper for the new grind machine. We'll start on partridgeville road just for you. This will show we take care of the people who care the most and are most needy of better roads. No one said the highway has to have all tar roads and the test show it's far cheaper to maintain them when dirt vs. tar. So i ask is it all about the money? Who's money? Look around and open your eyes to see what the checkbooks show how we are as a town. Broke?
Books can only be audited if 750 hours -1000 hours at ? per hour for an accountant get hired and work it out. At a 40 hour work week it would be 25 weeks to get the work done. It has to be done. Why when you were in charge didn't the facts come out from the people who worked for you and your board? Why didn't the books get fixed as we were told time and time again they were? We can save on the cold patch and man hours to clean up sand if we grind all pot hole roads.
It also bothers me that the way for the town to save is to use only salt. When the temp is below 18* the salt is not going to work as sand and salt mix does the way we do it now. Will we try use just salt? Git r done and lets vote on it. That way the people can set the blame on the ones who vote for the changes they thought we needed to save money. It looks like the idea of a bond and newer equipment is further away now more and then ever. What we need is people who want to help out and push for change and a better town in the end. Above all a safe town for our kids kids to thrive in and learn right from wrong. We've all seen the wrong ENOUGH it's overdue for the right to step forward. At least the roads will be safe to travel on for those who need too pass through our town.Your Highway staff will all make sure of that.
Sorry but mixing salt with sand does not change the temperature salt works at. Just what we need is another machine designed to do one thing. In case you don't realize it, I tried to get things changed, no other votes for it. If you ever get elected to light, please let me know how your one vote goes! If the other 2 commissioners vote to keep doing things the same way, it does not change. Just so you know, this morning, 10 trucks were loaded 2 times each in an hour and 9 of them contractors. If you trade the sweeper, how will you pick up all those messes you spoke of?
ReplyDeleteI did do the research on catch basin cleaning that you posted was law so perhaps you can share where that info came from then I can enlighten DEP.
ReplyDeleteSounds like like the "we do things right over here" campaign has moved to highway. Thank you Dana. Moving from pavement to dirt roads, now that is progress.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the clean up and i meant the sand used for roads needed to be cleaned up by law. The issue came to light when the town forced all but 2 highway personel to be put out of work due to lack of leadership and financial management. The first priority was to finish the sand cleanup as required by law every year.
ReplyDeleteToday winter snow removal= over a 7 hour time period we with 4 trucks hauled "over" 80 full loads if not 100 to the snow dump. Average loading time with the "new loader" under 2 minutes each some less. Loading time cut in half at least with the new equipment.
ReplyDeleteNo private contractor expences were needed to be added to towns budget.
No private contractor expences were needed to be added to senior center site prep.
No private contractor expences were needed to be added to town hall site prep.
I think the dana moto may just fit as there are no perfect departments but there are those that are managed better than others. Some have commissioners and some have had selectmen and now administrators. The one thing they differ in is the ability to over time prove results of the mission they are tasked with. The highway team over time under multi management types have proven the tasks asked of it and theres no way to spin that. Always under budget restrictions and time limits we do our best with what we have to the jobs at hand.