Highway Committee Minutes 7-16-19

Highway Committee Minutes 7-16-19

Town of Rutland Vermont Selectboard

Highway Committee Meeting

July 16, 2019

Seward Road

 

 

Present:  Select Board Members Joe Denardo and Mary Ashcroft; Highway Commissioner Byron Hathaway; Mark Panagini and Steve Senegal with The Graphic Edge (north side of Seward Road); Chris Louras for Foley Industries (south side of Seward Road). Meeting came to order at 9AM.

 

1)  Seward Road drainage issue.  The group viewed the drainage issue presented by runoff from the south side of Seward Road (Foley) through a culvert under Seward Drive to the north side (The Graphic Edge).  Mr. Panagini said that the drainage issue was a problem that needed to be solved by the town.  He stated that the Town should put an enlarged culvert under Seward Road, ditch the south side between the Foley property and the CLD driveway, and re-dig a ditch on the Graphic Edge property about 540 feet from Seward Road to the railroad tracks.  He also said that the town should send a letter to Mr. Foley to tell him to mitigate the water running off his property.  The group discussed possible solutions, costs, and questioned how much the town would do or pay for.

This is a commercial area with large buildings and larger parking lots, creating a high amount of impervious area.  The town did not create this situation.  The Graphic Edge property is subject to an Act 250 permit granted when the property was owned by Metromail.  That permit needs to be examined for treatment of stormwater runoff.  Seward Road was paved just 4 years ago and the paving is in good shape and will last for some time.  The culvert under the road shows daylight from one end to the other so is not blocked. The culvert is not on the town’s replacement list.

The Highway Committee/Road Commissioner’s recommendation is that the town re-dig the ditch on the south side of Seward Road which is bounded by the Foley property.  That will alleviate some of the problem.  The Highway Committee does NOT recommend that we replace the culvert as this appears unnecessary, nor do we do any ditching on the north side of Seward Road unless within our limited right of way area.  We also suggest that the Board decline to write a letter to Mr. Foley as requested by Mr. Panagini.  Graphic Edge could of course do so if it wishes.

 

2)  Ragosta Property Drainage Issue.  Byron reported that he had talked with engineer Brownson Spencer about the excavation done within the town’s easement area on Grover Drive.  Brownson felt the area could be reclaimed by digging down another foot or so, filling part of the excavated area with crushed rock, then replacing the previously excavated soil back on top.  It was not necessary to engineer the site more than that.  Brownson will provide specs for this work and will inspect to see if the work is done properly.  The drainage from the Ragosta basement must be diverted away from this area, instead draining through a pipe buried in the town’s ROW on the side of Grover Drive and then exiting to daylight to drain into the neighbor’s pond downhill.  The town should not bear any of the cost of doing any of this work.

 

3)  Decision Making by Road Commissioner.  Byron asked for clarification of which matters should be brought to the Highway Committee, and which he could decide on his own.  We agreed that any work within his ordinary maintenance work on town roads such as plowing, mowing, paving, etc., were his to oversee.  Unusual requests from townspeople, or work outside the town’s right of way should be discussed with the committee.  Expenditures over and above the budgeted items should also be brought to the committee and the full Select Board.

 

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 10:15AM.

 

Respectfully submitted:  Mary Ashcroft