Town Explores Upcoming Paving Season

WINDHAM - They were swayed into a spring and summer state of mind when Windham government leaders held their second of two regular monthly meetings, last Thursday night.

Town council members got a preliminary report on the upcoming paving season from highway superintendent BJ Murray.

Murray shared his schedule for local road upgrades, tapping State CHIPS (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) funds, along with in-house budgeted dollars.

Bids are being sought from outside contractors for the task, covering just under five miles of town byways in three different sections.

Murray, in his 284 submission to council members, has plans as follows, (depending upon job estimates):

—1.6 miles of hot mix asphalt, commencing at the intersection of Mill Street and Mitchell Hollow Road, going to Mill Street/ Mary Louise Drive.

—2.1 miles chip seal, commencing at Vining Road and leading to Siam Road/Mitchell Hollow Road.

—1.02 miles chip seal, commencing at Nauvoo Road at Beaver Hill and leading to Nauvoo Road at Old Road. 

Attention would be given, depending upon greenbacks, to road shimming, culvert replacements and pavement shifts on High Ridge Road, etc.

In the meantime, after an old-fashioned, cold and snowy winter that isn’t over until the third week in March, calendar-wise (and who knows how much longer un-calendar-wise), crews have been and are busy.

During the relentless frigidity, in addition to the repeated clearing of snow and melting of ice on municipal passageways and parking lots, highway workers helped fix a bunch of busted water mains.

They are currently “playing catchup with cleaning trucks,” Murray said, and voicing warm weather optimism, he added, “we’re gearing up for spring. Before you know it there will be green grass to mow.”

In other business:

—Town supervisor Thomas Hoyt was warmly welcomed back to the fold after a weeks-long physical absence, dealing with health matters.

“We are so happy you are back,” said account clerk Jessica Leto, noting, “it was so emotional, not knowing how you were doing. 

“The girls [in the office] and I missed you so much. It is unbelievable to see you sitting here after everything you went through,” Leto said.

Hoyt suffered a heart attack and a mild stroke in January, hospitalized while gradually returning to participation in daily town necessities.

The council meeting, last Thursday night, marked the first time he was bodily present in over a month, having stayed in touch and informed throughout his ordeal, returning the appreciation.

“We have good people working in Windham who are loyal and care about this town,” Hoyt said. “The ladies in the office have been amazing.”

Hoyt also thanked deputy supervisor Wayne VanValin for “keeping everything running smoothly, adding, “thank you all very much.”

—Council members appointed local resident Ray Curtis to the planning board, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Thomas Poelker.

Poelker sat on the town planning board for 25 years including a recent stint as chairperson, also serving on the Greene County planning board.

He will be replaced as chairperson by longtime planning board member Lisa Jaeger who has been acting chairperson on many occasions as Poelker transitioned from the position to the life of a citizen.

 —Councilman Kurt Goettsche reported that two doggie doo doo disposal stations at the Windham Path will be removed due to misuse.

“It is almost like we expected this to happen. This is why we didn’t want to do this in the first place,” Goettsche said.

Supervisor Hoyt explained, “the intent was good when some good citizens volunteered, a couple of years ago, to install and maintain these bins.”

The idea was to give Path visitors a spot to drop off bags of pooch poop, with the volunteers emptying them and providing refill pouches.

“What’s that old saying? No good deed goes unpunished,” Hoyt said. “Unfortunately it opened a Pandora’s Box.

“People were dumping coffee cups and baby diapers. Signs were made, saying they were just for dog use, but people are irresponsible.

“These things need to be emptied on a regular basis.The only other way would be to pay someone,” Hoyt said, with no current plan to do so.