At the July 5 meeting of the Moretown Select Board, road foreman Stuart Grandfield requested that the town consider hiring a fourth man for the town road department since Washburn would no longer be available to assist with road department tasks and projects.
Grandfield asked town officials to return to the four-man crew that was in place when he took over as foreman.
“With Rae stepping down, we’re going to have to hire another man for the winter; but a fourth man would help out a lot right now,” he said.
Select board member Stephanie Venema asked whether the fourth man would be a contractor or a full-time crew member. Grandfield said he wanted to return to a four-man crew and continue to do all the plowing without hiring contractors to maintain additional town roads.
In addition, Grandfield said that the school board had previously inquired about the town plowing the Moretown Elementary School parking lot.
“I don’t know if they are going to come to us or put it out to bid; it would save money,” Grandfield continued.
Venema said that the previous contract work has been awarded to the lowest bidder and the funds, not to exceed $10,000, were put into the town’s budget for plowing contracting.
Grandfield said one person has already submitted an application; “If we do go to four I wouldn’t want to lose this guy,” he said in reference to the applicant.
“He knows how to run an excavator, dump truck and grader,” he continued.
Grandfield said the previous fourth man, Chris Gray, was making $16.43 per hour; “It would save us money instead of putting it out to bid,” he said, noting that hiring a fourth person would be a net savings for the town, compared to hiring contractors.
“You’ve made your request known,” Venema said, and told Grandfield that the board will discuss the possibility of hiring a fourth road crew member.
The next meeting of the Moretown Select Board is scheduled for Monday, July 18, at 6 p.m. at the town clerk’s office.
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