Hebron-Buckfield see eye-to-eye

HEBRON - The Board of Selectmen met with Buckfield Town Manager Glen Holmes to chat about cooperative road work.

No definite action was taken, but Holmes and Hebron officials agreed to take another step toward reciprocity of equipment and crew time.

Holmes described the problem faced by both towns.

"When you have two people [on the crew], one cuts brush and the other has to flag traffic. That means not much gets done because there's no one left to move the brush away and stack it. Even when there are three people, it's still not going to be much more efficient," Holmes said.

Selectmen Jim Reid, representing Hebron's road committee, agreed, pointing out that even using seasonal workers didn't seem to help increase production by much.

"This summer, we rented an excavator and I was surprised that more didn't get done."

Holmes and Reid agreed that either town's road crew foremen could operate an excavator in a satisfactory manner, but neither was a specialist at its operation and couldn't be expected to be as proficient as an equipment operator who's sole assignment is excavation.

The discussion also included assurances on the part of both selectmen and Holmes that the wording of such a cooperative agreement would be important. Voters would want to be assured that their respective towns would receive as much time and as many resources as they expended. Yet, no one would benefit if the work on a project was stopped in mid-execution simply because the number of hours allotted had been reached.

Holmes estimated that over the span of a year, there would be about two or three weeks worth of work when the combined crews would be of use, usually during the summer months of July and August, when seasonal workers would be avauilable and the number of clear-weather days would increase.

"My board is aware that we are discussing this tonight, but as yet, they have'nt discussed it in open meeting. I'll suggest that we do so," Holmes offered.

Reid, in turn, said he is  scheduled to meet December 15 with the road committee and get its views on the matter, but was optimistic that the idea would be welcomed.

In other business, the Reid quizzed Road Commissioner Warren Packard about snow plowing guidelines. Packard responded that although there had been some plowing done on the day after Thanksgiving, there had been none done over the weekend just passed, despite Reid's insistence that he had heard, although didn't see, the plow go past his house.

"It's a very distinctive sound - a rumble, the selectman said. Packard, however, said he was sure the other driver hadn't plowed.

When Packard said the town crew would need a new chainsaw, the board balked.

"Because of the excess bill on the truck, you haven't got the money," said Richard Deans, chairman of the board, referring to a disagreement earlier in the year over repairs to a town truck that far exceeded estimates.