Highway Super Seeks To Buy New Truck
by Alex Brooks
Petersburgh Highway Superintendent Adam Beaudry said he would like to buy a new plow truck to replace the Oshkosh. He said he wants a four wheel drive truck with a single rear axle suitable for Petersburgh’s mountain roads. He said he got a quote from Delurey for the truck and a quote from Zwack for the dump body, the sander and the plow, and the total cost would be about $199,000. Beaudry said if the truck is ordered now, it would be delivered in November, so to prepare for next winter’s plow season, the time to act is now.
There is no doubt that the Oshkosh is a certifiable antique and well past its service life, but the Board was non-committal about whether it is prepared to back a purchase of that size, and the matter will require further discussion.
Town Hall Renovation
Heinz Noeding said the grant program he identified last month as a possible funder of Town Hall renovations turns out to be less promising than its website text suggested. There is very little grant money available, but plenty of low-interest loans are available. He said the building survey requested by the Board last month has been completed by Cedarwood Engineering. In that report he learned that if 50% or more of the building is renovated, it must be brought fully up to code, which will be quite expensive. But Noeding said the renovation using a USDA loan may be worth doing even if grants are not available. The building was found to be structurally sound for the most part, but has issues with asbestos, mold, and handicapped access, among other things. Noeding also said that replacing the building completely would be about 40% cheaper than fully renovating it, but he didn’t necessarily support replacing it, acknowledging that it has historical value and many people have an affection for it. The full report by Cedarwood has not been released yet, so if there are ballpark figures for the total cost of this renovation, they have not been disclosed yet.
Tri-Town Ambulance
Supervisor Dennis Smith said the terms of Petersburgh’s participation in the proposed Tri-Town Ambulance Service were re-negotiated and Petersburgh’s share of the cost was reduced to 15% in the new agreement, but the new terms were rejected by the Board of the Grafton Ambulance Service. The Grafton Ambulance also elected Sharon Lecce as Captain rather the incumbent Joe Allain. Allain has been a leading figure in the effort to create the Tri-Town Ambulance service. So plans for the new ambulance service have fallen a long way towards chaos, but Smith said this is not the end of the story, and discussions will continue.
Heinz Noeding said he had raised the question of management stability in the Grafton Ambulance when they were presented as the lead organization for the Tri-Town ambulance. He said the replacement of Allain “seems to confirm leadership issues in that organization.”
Jack Barnhill asked if the Petersburgh Ambulance Squad might be willing to take the lead instead. Dennis Smith said it’s a possibility, and he will raise the matter at the next meeting of the Petersburgh Ambulance, but he wasn’t providing any assurances that the idea will find an enthusiastic reception there.
Public Hearing on Planning Board Law
Planning Board Chairman Martin Conboy said the Planning Board needs a revision to its enabling legislation to do its work. Town Attorney David Gruenberg said he would look into that and provide a resolution to remedy the problem, but a public hearing must be held before the board can vote on a matter of that kind. A public hearing was scheduled for 6:45 pm on Monday April 19, so that the Board can vote on it at the regular meeting which starts at 7 that same evening.
C-8 Committee
Ben Krahforst, speaking for the C-8 Committee, urged the Board to support interim remedial measures at the Taconic campus in the two PFOA hotspots that have been identified – one behind Building 1, and one in a drywell in Building 2.
He said the C-8 Committee had already sent its own letter. Heinz Noeding offered to draft a letter to be circulated among the Board for approval.
In other news:
• The Town received a letter from Berlin saying they will sell transfer station permits to Petersburgh residents at renewal time in April.
• The Board agreed to advertise for Youth Program Director
• The Town will seek lawn care bids for mowing cemeteries and Town properties this season, and will seek sand and gravel bids from local providers. These bids will be due in time for the Board to act on them at the April meeting.