West Fairlee to use $20,000 better-roads award to scope culvert work

The West Fairlee Selectboard confirmed the town was awarded a $20,000 Better Roads Category C contract to address culvert work at Wild Hill. Chair (S1) told the board the structures grant and better-roads contract are in hand and that Two Rivers will perform scoping, mapping and photo documentation to forward to the state for permission before contracting for construction.

The board discussed hiring an engineer via RFPs. Chair (S1) said their long-time engineer, Mark Bannon, thought the culvert project was larger than he wanted to tackle and the town will develop a short list of firms from RFP responses to shepherd the project through VTrans requirements and bid processes. The board expects subsequent steps to include selecting an engineer, finalizing design per VTrans guidance, and issuing a construction contract once state permission is granted.

Why it matters: The $20,000 award unlocks state-funded culvert improvements that address drainage and road durability in areas identified by the town. The board emphasized procedural steps — scoping, state permission, and procurement — before work begins.