January 2, 2009

Plowing together?

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As the snow continues to fall, Washington County officials are looking for a better way to keep the roads cleared.

The county board of supervisors passed a resolution seeking $50,000 in funding to conduct a feasibility study into the snowplowing procedures of the county and its 17 towns and look for ways to save money.

“The main goal is to look at the snow plowing operations county-wide and figure out options and ways to route all of our plows while continuing to give existing levels of service,” said county department of public works commissioner William Grimmke. “We are looking at things to change while maximizing savings and efficiency.”

Grimmke said that he handed out preliminary letters to each of the town highway superintendents at the last county meeting.

“I gave them a letter and a sample resolution to each of the superintendents,” said Grimmke. “To date, I have not gotten anything back. The highway superintendents are busy right now with snow.”

Whitehall town highway superintendent Louis Pratt said that he received the letter from Grimmke, and is looking into where the town and county would be able to streamline services.

“We are looking to save about five- to ten-percent,” said Pratt. “He wants to know what towns will be participating in this concerning looking into shared services on winter maintenance. Willie is using his head on this, and Vernon (Scribner) and I would like to sit down with him on this.”

The board of supervisors unanimously passed the resolution to apply for a grant to conduct a feasibility study, while Whitehall town supervisor Vernon Scribner felt that it was a study that could be done without funding.

“We are asking for this funding, but I think that the highway superintendents and Willie could sit down and come up with a feasibility study,” said Scribner, who did vote for the resolution.