Road and Weed Committee Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016

Road and Weed Committee Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016 Jun 11, 2016 16:36:41 GMT -7 zorro likes this

Quote

Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2016 16:36:41 GMT -7

June 6th, 2016 RoadMeeting Synopsis and Commentary

Lemke, the new road contractor for North and South Glastonbury finished grading at a cost of approximately $5,000.00. No fresh gravel was distributed anywhere. It was noted that in South Glastonbury the roads were graded but not rolled. This resulted in thousands of sharp rocks being brought to the road surface that then punctured several landowner's automobile tires. The incomplete grading also opened the previously packed road surface to the powerful Montana sun which quickly evaporated precious moisture that held the gravel and binder together. Clouds of dust billowed behind traveling vehicles as the road clay binder blew away.
It was agreed that Lemke would start work again on June 8th in North Glastonbury. Director Ed Dobrowski requested that Adkins Construction do the work in South and he agreed to contact Mike Adkins. Several directors disagreed but Ed forcefully prevailed.
Weed spraying was put on hold for a Board vote. Many landowners protested the spraying of weeds even though it is required by law.
The erroneous gravel allocations in the last Road Committee minutes was discussed and corrected. The Forum's suggestions for High South gravel allocation were accepted. At the last road committee meeting it was agreed that the South Glastonbury road budget should be split 50/50 even though High South has twice as many miles of gravel roads, 7.6 miles vs Low South with just 2.9 miles. At this meeting Ed Dobrowski insisted that Arcturus receive 6 more loads of gravel. To pay for this extra amount it was decided to take money from the South Glastonbury road reserve fund, a fund for all South Glastonbury landowners, and use it just for Arcturus in Low South.
It was suggested that a written work order be presented to road contractors so they knew exactly what work was expected of them. The Forum noted that it already provided a detailed work order for High South gravel, grading and ditch work. No action was taken.
Lemke did not perform any ditch work in South Glastonbury and very little in North Glastonbury. It was suggested that ditch work could wait until the fall grading and perhaps a mini-excavator would do a better job than a grader.
The next meeting was scheduled for June 21st, 2016 7 -9 PM at Liberty Hall.

Commentary

The Road Committee meeting was held outside on the Liberty Deck. It was well attended but little was accomplished. Generally the meeting was another well worn discussion of old subjects that lead to disagreement and inaction. One audience member with a particularly shrill and grating voice repeatedly interrupted Board members and attempted to carry on conversations with them. When that person's behavior was called out by a Board member, the shrill one responded with a personal attack that went unchecked by other Board members. Other audience members were polite, respectful and offered serious suggestions. All suggestions were graciously accepted and then most appeared to have entered the same black hole that letters to the Board disappear into. Rude and bullying behavior was allowed. The loud, obnoxious people who often repeated themselves were tolerated and even rewarded for their bad behavior. Their rude behavior limited the impact of well meaning and thoughtful participants. When rules of civility are not enforced disorder and anarchy reign.

It is now mid June and our gravel roads are in worse condition than before last week's grading. They are littered with sharp rocks, have holes where frost heaved boulders have been pulled up by the grader and the clay binder is rapidly drying and blowing away. The roadside thistles and other noxious weeds are growing by leaps and bounds. Soon they will be several feet tall, blossoming and then spreading their seeds far and wide. Money allocated for all of South Glastonbury was allowed to be spent for one director's pet project; Arcturus Road. The North Glastonbury crumbling paved road loop was yet again pushed off to the next meeting. There is no comprehensive road plan and the directors on the Road Committee can only seem to agree about their disagreements.
Have we gotten the management team we deserve? Will they get voted out in November? That choice is up to the landowners.

Glastonbury Community Forum

Road and Weed Committee Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016

Post by Admin on Jun 4, 2016 10:27:57 GMT -7

Post by Admin on Jun 11, 2016 16:36:41 GMT -7