By Doug LaRocque
One of the stated goals of Grafton Town Supervisor Ingrid Gundrum for 2018 was to have a monthly Town Board workshop meeting in addition to the regular monthly meeting. The first of these was held Monday, January 22. One of her primary objectives is to be able to focus on maximizing efficiency in the bill paying process, particularly as it concerns the Highway Department. The department does not use an Excel spreadsheet for its accounts payable, relying instead on turning in paper receipts. Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck promised the Board he would give added attention to keeping track of these receipts.
Union Negotiations
Members of the town’s Highway Department last year voted to be represented by the Teamsters Union. Supervisor Gundrum noted that the first round of talks is slated for Monday, January 29 at 3:30 pm. The time was pushed for by Board members, as it is after the department’s working hours and would allow all employees to attend the negotiations if they wish. The town’s negotiating team is made up of Council Members Eric Buckley and Jeff Wagar, town resident and former Supervisor Frank Higgins, Superintendent Hasbrouck and attorney Jay Girvin, from the firm of Girvin and Ferlazzo, the town’s attorneys. The union negotiating team has not yet been made public.
Subcontracting Town Plowing
In adopting the town’s 2018 budget, the Board agreed they would look to hire a private contractor to handle the winter plowing in the northeast corner of the town. The Board asked Superintendent Hasbrouck about the status of bids being let for this. He told them the issue is apparently going to become a matter to be discussed in the union negotiations, so it was tabled for now.
Board Member Jeff Wagar said he has reviewed the two proposals to replace the defective diesel fuel pump at the Highway Garage and found both to be very similar in cost and detail, but that one company had the pump in stock, the other would require six weeks to fill the order. The Board authorized Superintendent Hasbrouck to go ahead with the installation process and that they would finalize the contract at the February meeting.
Councilman Wagar also asked the Superintendent why he used sand instead of salt on the town’s paved roads, indicating it creates quite a mess and requires additional clean up in the spring. Mr. Hasbrouck answered that salt must be stored separately from the sand and requires the truck hoppers to be changed out to dispense salt. Mr. Wagar answered that those issues are easily remedied and would be willing to work with the Superintendent to utilize salt over sand where warranted.
Councilwoman Lisa Dooley also reminded Superintendent Hasbrouck it is the town’s responsibility to make sure the Baptist church parking lot is cleaned out, as the town has a long standing agreement with the church to use that lot for overflow parking for the Everett Wagar Senior Center.