2012 Annual Town Report - Templeton
Chapter 90 requests:
$24,500.00 of chapter 90 money funded the purchase of a 1995 portable screening plant, which the department utilizes year round for recycling earth materials ( sand, loom, and process gravel for road projects)


Fall Cleanup:
August 28, 2011 Hurricane Irene hit the east coast with heavy rain and high winds causing down trees, brush and power lines. The department work throughout  the day and evening to battle minor flooding problems and to keep the roadways clear of debris. September and October consisted of tree removal and stump grinding throughout the Town. The Town had to purchase winter sand $27,000.00 from Graves Sand & Gravel and the highway department hauled over 2800 tons to the highway barn. In November the department prepares the trucks and equipment for the snow & ice season and completes the cleaning and repairing of catch basins.


Snow and Ice:
Halloween weekend 2011 the Northeast was struck with a large winter storm taking down trees and power lines and dumping over 18 inches of heavy wet snow in the area.


Sanding operations began in November and the first plowing operation occurred on January 12. Numerous snow storms throughout January and February kept the department busy.


Besides the removal of snow from the roadways, the highway department also clears snow from the sidewalks after a storm.


Over 740 tons of salt and approximately 2,800 tons of sand were used this winter season. The department rented a large screening machine to screen winter sand for future winter operations from the town's sand pit at a cost of $10,000.00.


Salt / sand is listed at a cost of $67,090.62.


So, $24,500.00 of road money used to buy a screening plant, then $27,000.00 spent on buying sand, then $10,000.00 used to rent a screening plant to screen sand. Put the $24,500.00 aside and add the $27,000.00 to the $10,000.00 = $37,000.00 which subtracted from $67,090.62 = $30,090.62. If you just use 740 (tons of salt) at the state bid of $54.00 per ton, I believe that would be $39,960.00 but it is listed at Over 740 tons so no real total spent on salt seems to be available. Buying a sand screening plant, then renting a screening plant, then buying sand seems to be a crazy way to go about doing something that Dave Smart keeps saying works so well.


Spring Cleanup:
Since the area saw only a mild winter the department began their spring cleanup in early February. The largest of the projects is the sweeping of sand from sidewalks and roadways which takes several weeks / months to complete. The cleaning of catch basins is another large undertaking which takes most of the spring and summer to finish. Starting in June the department began the task of repairing and or rebuilding damaged catch basins along with the repainting of crosswalks through the town.


Equipment:
New or used equipment purchased during the 2012 fiscal year:


              Used 2000 military dump truck                                   $          0.00
              Used hot top roller                                                       $   1,500.00
              Installation of military generator - electrical work      $ 11,900.00


So the highway department wants new trucks, looks like they should explore the surplus program.
I think the question has to be asked, with all the time listed spent sweeping up sand and cleaning it out of drain basins, how many other things could actually get done even if there were more funds available? On the flip side, what if the department did not have to spend all that time sweeping up sand and cleaning it out of the basins? Kind of looks like if they keep using sand, there is all that busy work to do. I think the same scenario could occur if the highway department suddenly had all new trucks and they stopped using sand in the winter, what would they be doing with all that free time?


Now about that plowing operations beginning in January and the numerous storms throughout January and February and the sweeping/ spring clean up in early February, well that could be a typo or we could have had a nice warm sunny few days and rather than wash some equipment, they swept some sand up to look busy, either way, this report shows just how much time, labor and money is spent on sand which does not seem to do much except keep people busy chasing their tail. As in buy, screen, haul, mix, spread then sweep up and dig (out of basins) and haul again. Lets not try anything that might take away our busy work because what else would we do if it was not for the sand?


If the highway department wants town meeting approval to buy some new equipment, want voter approval for road money and want raises, they should perhaps be working right now convincing the voters on what they are doing and have done to use the voters money wisely. That is where the money comes from, the voters.