by Alex Brooks
At the Grafton Town Board meeting on Monday, September 12, Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck recounted some stories of the floods and destruction wrought by Hurricane Irene. He said through the morning it looked like just another heavy rainstorm but by 2 pm the devastation started. The water was two feet deep running fast down the middle of Route 2. A 12′ tall culvert on Johnson Road was not big enough to let all the water through. The water went over the top of it and ripped it out, throwing the culvert and several 3,000 pound concrete blocks a few hundred yards downstream. At one point all roads out of town were impassable and emergency personnel were wondering how they would get someone to a hospital if there were a medical emergency. Hasbrouck said his crew dumped 32 loads of gravel on Roark Road so that they would be able to get their trucks to the gravel pits to get material to fix the other roads. He thanked his crew and the fire company and the ambulance squad for all their hard work on the day the storm struck. He said by Monday night everybody was able to drive out of their homes.
Hasbrouck said it’s going to be a big job to get all the culverts replaced and the roads back in shape. Culverts are difficult to get right now – there is a waiting list because so many are being ordered by desperate highway superintendents all around the area. In addition to the culverts, an enormous amount of gravel will be needed, and Hasbrouck said it will be costly, but he has already met with FEMA, and is expecting financial help from them. His preliminary rough estimate of the damage is $350,000. Just to buy the 3 major culverts that need to be replaced will be $100,000.
Hasbrouck also said he heard this week that the state “pulled the plug on rebuilding Route 2 this year,” meaning the road will not be repaired until next year’s construction season. Supervisor Tyler Sawyer said he had just heard that news on the day of the meeting, and he has already started calling all of the state and federal representatives to express his opinion that it needs to be repaired and put back in service immediately. He urged residents to do the same.
New Loader
Supervisor Sawyer said that he had spoken with Hasbrouck about the Highway Department’s equipment needs, and came to the conclusion that the Town’s loader, which Hasbrouck described as “pretty much worn out,” needs to be replaced. They investigated loaders available on state bid and found a John Deere for $130,000 and a Caterpillar for $135,000. Hasbrouck felt the Deere was the better machine, and being also $5,000 less, it is probably the one which will be purchased. Sawyer said this machine would be delivered and paid for next year, so they would have to put it in the budget next month. Sawyer said the town will pay off an equipment bond this year, so they will be able to get a new bond to pay for this loader with no impact on the tax levy. The board took no action on the matter at this meeting, but Sawyer said they will probably be asked to approve a bond resolution sometime this fall.
Town Sign From 1807 Presented
The Grafton Town Board meeting began with a presentation from Frank Sbrega of an old Grafton sign that used to be mounted by the side of the road. Mr Sbrega and his wife Joan are donating the sign to the town, and it will be mounted somewhere in the Town Hall. Mr. Sbrega came upon the sign when he was asked to clean out one of the outbuildings on the property of former Supervisor Joe Mahoney after Mr Mahoney had passed.
Mr. Sbrega said he thought the board that it was painted on came from the old Lamphere sawmill which used to stand at the intersection of South Road and Steve O’Dell Road near where the Gentner house is now.
The sign says Grafton 1807. Supervisor Tyler Sawyer speculated that it may have been made for the centennial in 1907.
Electronics Recycling
The Town has received an offer from an electronics recycling firm operating under the provisions of a new state electronics recycling law passed this spring, which allows residents to recycle electronics at no cost to the consumer. The Board agreed unanimously to enter into an agreement with this company, as it seems to offer a better deal for residents and for the town than the town’s existing arrangements.
Insurance Will Cost Less!
The New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, which provides the Town’s Liability and Automotive insurance, sent the Town a letter saying their insurance premiums will be going down next year by about 5%. Sawyer said this is great news for the town, and he will reduce the insurance line in next year’s budget accordingly.
Building Inspector Report
Building Inspector Tom Withcuskey said he has issued 132 building permits so far this year. 33 of those were for new construction, the rest retrospective permits issued under the amnesty program. He said there have been three new housing starts this year, which is encouraging as a sign that building activity is picking up again. He said in contrast to the road devastation from the hurricane, very few houses in Grafton were damaged. Some areas quite close to Grafton’s borders had major housing damage, but Grafton was mostly spared.
Rescue Squad Report
In August the Squad responded to 20 calls, and was twice unable to roll because they couldn’t confirm a crew. There was 1 wires down, 2 cardiac arrests, 1 animal bite, 2 falls, 1 difficulty breathing, 2 traffic accidents, 1 traumatic injury, 2 diabetic problems, 1 stroke, 1 laceration, and a few others. Mohawk Ambulance provided Advanced Life Support on 10 calls. The ambulance was on standby with full crew at the Rouse Picnic, the Run For The Roses, and Hurricane Irene from 8 am to 10:30 pm. 236 volunteer hours were logged in the ambulance, and 427 miles were traveled. The ambulance is in need of tires before the winter.
Public Comment
A number of people said the 9/11 Memorial observance put on by the Town was a very nice event and thanked those who organized and conducted it.
In response to a question, Supervisor Sawyer sketched out the budget calendar for this fall. He said he will present the preliminary budget to the board by September 30. There will be some budget workshops probably in late October, and the budget will be approved in November. He noted that one complication this year is that there will be special grievance board on October 19 for those whose assessments were adjusted as part of the amnesty program. The grievance board take about two weeks to rule on these grievances, and the result will affect the town revenue for next year, so there will be an additional bit of uncertainty about the town revenue until early November.