Committee members flag culvert holes, road repairs as likely major expense

A committee member (S2) told the March 25 session that two holes in a culvert beneath the driveway of a property identified as Damon Stevens are creating a safety hazard for riders, pedestrians and vehicles and asked the town to repair the pipe or patch the area.

"There's a culvert on that goes under his road by his driveway. And on that side of the road, there's 2 holes in it," the member said, adding the holes are "right in front of his mailbox" and pose risk when traffic increases. The member asked, "Can we get somebody to fix that?" and suggested the town might be responsible if the culvert runs fence-to-fence.

Members discussed whether the culvert is town-owned and noted recurring flood events that affect the road. Committee member (S2) said Tristan would be asked to drive the town and inspect problem spots this week. The member warned that taking care of that road "is probably our major expense this year."

Members also raised several roadside maintenance items including holes at road edges, trimming overgrown Russian olive and verge clearing to allow safer walking and riding. The group agreed staff would conduct an inspection drive-around and return with repair recommendations and cost estimates.

Next steps: staff were asked to inspect the culvert and roadside holes, coordinate with the property owner where appropriate, and report back with options and an estimated cost. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.