Coastal Trails volunteer Jerry outlines maintenance model and praises DPW’s quick response

Volunteer Jerry, speaking for Coastal Trails, told the group the organization relies on a mix of sponsors, volunteers and close cooperation with municipal departments to keep trails safe and usable. He described a recent incident in which trail users sent him a photo of a fallen tree; "I sent a picture of the tree to the DPW foreman, and he had a guy out there in an hour cleaning," Jerry said, describing how the town cleared the hazard quickly.

Jerry said Coastal Trails maintains earmarked accounts for local trails and uses those funds to hire contractors for unsafe work and to buy maintenance equipment that can be loaned to volunteers and town staff. He said that model reduces the town’s immediate budget burden while ensuring hazardous conditions are addressed promptly; committee members discussed how the partnership with DPW has worked in neighboring towns as well.