Present: Henry C. Cobb
Patricia Daniels
Daniel Boyer
Norman John Arrison

Others Present: Larry Melen, Town Manager
Wes Hazeltine, Road Superintendent
Lisa Sargent, Recording Secretary
Barry Newton
Terrie-Louise Newton
John Capozza
Doris Wright
Jere Wright
Larry Brunner
Karen M. Brunner
Lotto F. Brunner
Rick Logan
Carol Logan
Maria Dudanowicz
Antoni Dudanowicz
Andrea J. Miller
Sheldon Simon
Mindy Simon

Present at inspection but not present during meeting: Aaron Wheeler and Joe Lloyd

Mr. Cobb called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m. at Martin Memorial Hall. This meeting followed the site inspection at Old Bow Road that began at 9:00 a.m.

Mr. Melen read the public hearing notice that was published. He said it was posted at Martin Memorial Hall, Ascutney Post Office, Perkinsville Post Office, Proctor Library, Downers Store and in the Eagle Times. Abutting property owners received the notice via certified/return receipt mail.
Mr. Melen said that in September the Select Board previously moved to accept this as an existing Town highway and to move forward with a site visit and public hearing. He said this hearing is to classify the road. The classifications are: I: State Highway maintained by the Town, II: Highway connecting two towns, III: All other traveled roads other than a Class I or II and IV all others not a Class I, II or III. Class IV has no standards of maintenance other than the Town maintains bridges and culverts.
Mr. Cobb said the town has received a letter submitted by Mrs. Wright and signed by twenty-one people on Old Bow Road.
Mr. Logan said there are only three year round residences on the section of road that is currently maintained by the Town and there are seven year round residences on the part that is not maintained and he feels this is a safety issue.
Mr. Newton said he would give an easement to the Town to turn around on his property since he is the last residence on the road.
Mrs. Newton said this road is not passable with a regular vehicle during mud season or the wintertime. She said she is concerned about public safety for the residents on the part of the road that is not maintained.
Mr. Newton explained a situation when a large tree fell that was on a power line and the power company took over twenty-four hours to respond. Mr. Cobb explained that is CVPS’s problem, our emergency services can not touch live wires.
Mrs. Logan said she agreed that was a problem with CVPS. She said some residents bought a culvert and put in stone to make one section better during mud season and feels that is what needs to be done with the other bad spot. She said mud on the spot that has been worked on is no worse than some other roads in Town.
Mr. Arrison asked Mr. Hazeltine if the road is currently maintainable, Mr. Hazeltine said no it needs work in order for the grader and plow trucks to go over it. Mr. Arrison said that in the past the Town has required roads to be brought up to spec before the Town will start to maintain them. Mr. Cobb said there seems there are just a few problem spots on this road. Mr. Hazeltine said you need to ditch on the right hand side going down and take out some material to get the water out of the road. Mr. Cobb asked how much it would cost to do that. Mr. Hazeltine said he would have to hire a contractor with an excavator and assumes it would be about $6,000.
Mr. Dudanowicz asked why it would be so expensive and who owns the equipment? Mr. Melen said we own some equipment but we do not own an excavator and the ditch couldn’t be dug out properly with the backhoe.
Mr. Dudanowicz said he has been to the Town before regarding issues with the road and feels like residents on that road are treated differently. He said they pay taxes to the Town like other residents and should be treated the same.
Mr. Melen explained that the road does not appear on any state map and therefore it is not in our records.
Mr. Brunner said he is the longest term resident on the section of the road that is not maintained and it was maintained until the early 1990’s. He said he talked to the Town Manager at that time and he was assured the Town would grade and plow to his driveway but it hasn’t been graded for about fifteen years now. He said when the Town graded the road there were not the mud issues they have had recently.
Mr. Arrison made the motion to determine Highway 66, Old Bow Road, a provisional Class III road until Barry Newton’s residence and then a Class IV road until the end, Mr. Boyer seconded the motion.
Mr. Cobb asked what provisional means. Mr. Arrison said today is November 4th and there is not much time to work on the road before winter but this is a starting point for the Town to take over the road. Mr. Cobb asked Mr. Hazeltine if he could run the grader through there. Mr. Hazeltine said you can’t make it wider, need to be careful not to bring water into the road, need to do some ditch work first.
Mrs. Wright asked why end at Mr. Newton’s house? Mr. Arrison said like he said earlier, some residents have been required to bring the road up to Town spec’s before we maintain it and that is what could happen to the remainder of the road. Mr. Boyer referred to this happening on Carly Road.
Mr. Melen said this road does not connect to something, it is a dead end road so it does not need to be Class III. Mr. Cobb asked again what provisional means. Mr. Melen said the highway does not currently meet Class III specs but the Town will bring up to spec’s within five years.
Mr. Cobb said the objective of taking over this road is not to make it 22’ wide, it is to make it passable for passenger vehicles and emergency vehicles to get in and out.
Ms. Miller asked who was responsible for the cost over the next five years while doing the improvements, Mr. Cobb said the Town.
Motion carried 4 – 0.

Mr. Cobb asked Mr. Hazeltine given his work load and available funds what he can do to this road this year. Mr. Hazeltine said he will try and do some ditch work and put some gravel on it.
Mr. Arrison asked what usually plows this road, Mr. Hazeltine said he would use the grader.
Mr. Cobb confirmed Mr. Hazeltine would do some minimal ditch work, put some gravel down and grade it before winter.
Mr. Arrison mentioned we might not be able to help with the mud season this year. Mr. Hazeltine said that is a valuable point; we may not be able to get on that road as the trucks weigh a lot more than passenger vehicles.
Mr. Melen asked Mr. Hazeltine if this was a safety issue for the employees, Mr. Hazeltine said no more than it is for residents now but if he is going to plow the road it needs some maintenance before snow.
Mr. Boyer made the motion to provide winter maintenance for the provisional Class III section this year. Mrs. Daniels seconded the motion, which passed without dissent.
Mrs. Daniels made the motion to close the Public Hearing. Mr. Boyer seconded the motion, which passed without dissent. The Public Hearing was closed at 11:25 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lisa A. Sargent

Approved by the Weathersfield Select Board on December 7, 2006

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Henry C. Cobb

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Norman John Arrison

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Patricia Daniels