Sand and Salt: A Model for Change
A nature of the human condition is to resist change. However, in most cases, change turns out to be a good thing, particularly in the areas of science and technology.
In snow and ice control, one of the most difficult changes for an agency is to change from a policy of abrasives treatment (sand) priority to a policy of chemical treatment (salts and other chemicals) priority.
Abrasives priority is a policy of using a mixture of abrasives and ice control chemicals, or straight abrasives, to treat snow and ice situations. A chemical priority policy uses straight ice control chemicals, without abrasives, to produce the desired result. The strategy of anti-icing (trying to prevent ice/pavement bond) is inherent in most chemical priority programs.
To transition from an abrasive to a chemical priority policy, examine these steps that have been used successfully by others.
- Decide that chemical priority is something to try, and WHY
- Research relevant literature and web-based information
- Get help from knowledgeable peers: the Cornell Local Roads Program; NYSDOT; FHWA; and consultants
- Decide which roads or areas are good candidates for such a policy
- Conduct trials that yield data on costs, operational characteristics, and performance
- If successful, get legislative buy-in and educate your agency by using local “champions” who have seen the experimental results first hand
- Educate the public (people who use your highway system)
Train, evaluate, and refine
Warren County in New York State and the State of Maine have successfully managed the transition from an abrasives to a chemical priority policy.
Environmental protection and improved level of service
Warren County is situated in the Adirondack Mountains. Most of the western watershed of Lake George is in this county. In the early 1990s the loadings of silt and abrasives accumulating in Lake George were generating a high level of environmental concern. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Warren County Department of Public Works (DPW) installed many containment features to trap silt and abrasives before they reached Lake George. They also instituted aggressive sweeping programs to pick up abrasives before they entered the drainage system.
In the late 1990s, to further reduce abrasives loadings, the Warren County DPW decided to move from its long-standing abrasives priority policy to a chemical priority policy, and improve their level of snow and ice service. Coincidentally, researchers from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) contacted Warren County to participate in a field study to compare the cost and performance of a chemical priority policy with those of an abrasives priority policy - A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.
Warren County agreed to collect the necessary data. The researchers provided substantial training, experimental design, data collection forms, and data analysis. The results of the three-winter study were compelling. The data showed that an equal or higher level of service could be provided, at less cost, by using a chemical priority approach when compared with an abrasives priority approach. THE DATA SHOWED LESS SALT WOULD BE USED.
Last year it took days to sweep my end of South Road and Farnsworth Road, along with French. You need a man to run the sweeper, one to drive the truck to collect the sand, and a place to dump it. That takes man power and money ! Both the Highway was short of it seemed. I do have to give our high way workers credit for dong what they could with so little. The first storm we had more than a week ago, created some lousy roads. As usual our HD was out early sanding and then plowing. It was still snowing pretty good when I saw the fire truck go by. Actually two of them I think. To make a long story short, the fire dept. took care of business, and the new people up the road still have a house to live in. that would not have happened if the roads were not passable. Was it my imagination or was the HD short two men all summer ? The time all kinds of work should be done faster with more than one person doing all the work by himself ? Way to go !! Pinch that budget so the town barely runs but keep Town Hall fully staffed ?
ReplyDeleteI've heard more bitching about road conditions this year than normal, why, not really sure, but..........
ReplyDeleteNot the last storm ,but the one prior I was driving down my road after the sand truck came by. My road had melted circles about 20ft from each other the entire length of the road. I found it lousy as you had wet, then snow, then wet, then snow the entire drive. I was planning to ask Alan the next time I see him. Hope this is not going to be the normal layout as it seems less than ideal.
It's stubbornness and ignorance. Where else but Templeton would a truck drive down the middle of the road spreading their vile mixture of half-ass gravel and salt? The plow is up, rather than working. One center line pass, then on the return trip the sander is off. That's just stupidity, unless it's done to maximize overtime.
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ReplyDeleteHow about the multiple "pile dumps" along the road. About every tenth of a mile the plow driver pushed his pile of snow off the road. I could see if it was a ton of snow, but 3"??????
Merry Christmas
ReplyDeletejust think the highway guys are out plowing getting time and a half pay if we privatize it is one price day/night/weekend/holiday
If we have too much debt, and that was before we voted for "the school", where does our BOS think we are going to get any money to update our equipment, for anything ?? We will be in debt for a very long, long time. Got to love those USDA Loans ! 40 years is a long time.
DeleteIt will be even better when all that credit card debt is on the tax rate! Ho ho ho!
ReplyDeleteBefore the school I didn't see debt as a problem. The Town has a valuation of $622 million. Borrowing below the 5% mark or roughly $31 million is pretty typical and doesn't require approval by the State. Prior to the School we truly had Chump Change type debt based on valuations. What we have had for along time is shitty management of our finances. "Penny wise and Pound foolish". In true terms over the past few years we should have been financing everything. Money has been cheap, but now as we are facing a major borrowing our costs of debt are rising.
ReplyDeleteTempleton is doubly lucky in that our mismanagement over the past "years" created an inability to borrow when money was cheap. Now that money is getting pricier, we are stuck borrowing at an even greater %rate due to our mismanagement.
It is my belief that once the town goes out for the actual bond at the end of this process the rates will be significantly higher then what would have been required if Templeton had properly managed its finances over the years.
Now the question is will the plan laid out by the Town Administrator and supported by the BOS end up being more expensive for ratepayers or the better plan?
I don't know what we would have received as a rate if we would have applied for a bond or if we would have even received one, but.............
Now I got a question, what effect does the new Federal Tax Plan place on this for ratepayers.
Will not being able to deduct local, state and real estate taxes above a $10,000 cap effect many?
I'm just saying that from my thinking this "planned borrowing" is getting more and more expensive.
I've got a question for folks in Templeton. Will the new Elementary school have a library? Does the High School/Middle school. The Town has one, right? Does Templeton need to consolidate.
We are going to be repairing, fixing, updating the Templeton Library, should we? Should the Templeton taxpayer be spending money on updating a historical building for public use or has its "useful life" been fully realized as a public building.
How about the senior center? Should we require a little more self reliance from users of the facility, donations or some municipal arrangement with another town??? Hubbardston?
I'm done rambling..........random Christmas thoughts.......lol
The senior center asks for (in the COA monthly newsletter) and receives donations of center supplies (i.e. paper plates and cups, paper towels, bathroom tissue, stamps, etc.) and food pantry victuals. The Friends of the Templeton Elders (501(c)3 non-profit corporation) provides funding and donations through activities such as the Mac & Cheese Festival, Christmas Fair and Mystery Theatre/Dinner(volunteer labor and raffle items). Volunteers at the senior center answer phone calls, send greeting cards, prepare the newsletter for mailing and enter non-sensitive computer data. MART provides 33% of the van drivers' salaries. The staff at the Senior is down to 2 1/2 employees (excluding van drivers). Last year we laid off our part-time dispatcher and bookkeeper. During last years' budget process a group of seniors volunteered to CLEAN the senior center so that we did not require custodial services. Ask a little MORE of us???? I am not arguing or complaining, just putting some facts out there. - Kathy K
ReplyDeleteBTW, due to liability and other issues, the town custodial services are still used at the Templeton Community and Senior Center. Kathy K.
DeleteKathy K.
ReplyDeleteI'm just looking at what Templeton Taxpayers are being ask to spend for a senior center. I see just under $300,000 in capital expenses being asked for fy 2019.
How many local seniors use the services vs actual costs.
Do you know if Highway gets re-imbersed for the mechanics time fixing COA vehicles or does that come from Highways budget?
My points are that we have to look at everything. We need to know how we spend our money and are we getting value for it?
Not sure where that $300,000 figure comes from - fy 2018 has $100,000 for siding already funded for the town owned Senior AND COMMUNITY CENTER building. My understanding was that the COA budget did not include ANY capital items in the fy 2019 budget requests (due 1/2/2018), as presented to the Capital Planning Committee last week via an email.
DeleteSOME COA vehicles are MART owned and repaired by them. Not sure how other COA vehicle repair expenses are allocated. How are police vehicle repairs allocated??? I don't know the answers to those questions.
Local senior use numbers are available from the COA Director thru the senior center software. I am not sure how one could compare senior use numbers with a dollar cost???? Apples vs oranges. Perhaps I don't fully understand your question.
Some of these questions could be answered by the COA Director, but I'm not sure how the "chain of command" works in regards to the FC and Dept Head communications and questions. MUST questions go thru the TA? I don't know. Kathy K.
Kathy K. I was looking at the Cap Planning list from prior to the last meeting. It has a Deck, Kitchen,lower level function room,wheelchair lift, hot/cold truck, 2007 Eldorado wheelchair lift
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure on the vehicle issues either, but it is on my list since I always see the Highway department fixing COA, Police, etc vehicles. If no costing of services is transfered we are not getting clear numbers for expenses. Costs need to be allocated to the service they provide otherwise we will never be able to run efficiently.
I read some paper/article recently but cannot remember were about services provided by COA. I remember seeing something like 73 members served 2070 times or something.
Basically how many Templeton seniors use the physical building, use the services and how are they used.
This is one area were I am pretty close, not exactly, but pretty close to the TA in. I believe every taxpayer dollar spent needs to be accounted for every year. The service provided needs to be measured and valued. We should do nothing or fund anything based on last year. Every dollar from $0 needs to be justified by need.
I'm not saying the COA or Senior center aren't valuable. I'm not saying it about the library or anything else specifically. It's just we need to truly look at what, why, how so we can know if we should spend taxpayer funds.
Looking at that list from the fy18 Master Capital plan planning grid - MY UNDERSTANDING is that the completion of the kitchen will HOPEFULLY be funded by the Friends of the Templeton Elders and that those other items listed were not requested fy19 as capital items.
ReplyDeleteAs for those COA statistics you quoted, the COA Director would be the best reference for those, and she could also explain the activities provided at the center in DETAIL.
I'm not sure how the "cost accounting" methods fit into the Uniform Municipal Accounting System, but those detailed figures would certainly be helpful. Are they available? Not sure. Of course every budget item needs to be specific and justified. Kathy K.
Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays ! Now I know our TA was going to shut down the Senior Center and the Rec. Department this FY. That did not happen, and if the 17 budget is not sustainable for 18, what is he going to do ? Where is the money coming from to do all of this ? I had figured the BOS was going to ask for a override somewhere down the road, but with the increases some people got this time around they would have to have a lot of nerve to push for one now. Once "the school" is on forget it. I figure our tax rate will be about 20.00 in the end. So looking at all of this, just where does any of these people think the money is coming from to replace all of the junk equipment and fix our roads that have suffered from years of neglect ? Our TA had a plan to get through this year, and this year alone. No long term plan, after all, he did not think he would be here. Would it surprise you if I was told, years ago, that Echo Hill was going to ruin the town for firing his wife ? With a lot of help, it does seem this plan worked. Bev.
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