TRR photo by Chris Conroy Herman Reinshagen, who has served on Bethel’s Zoning Board of Appeals since it was created 34 years ago and retires this year, is presented by Bethel Supervisor Allan Scott with a plaque in appreciation of his service. “Our first challenge was Woodstock,” Reinshagen said with a smile. “Things went better after that.” (Click for larger image)

Rough roads

By CHRIS CONROY

BETHEL — Driving in Bethel isn’t as pleasant as anyone would like it to be, including Highway Superintendent Dick Yeomans.

“This was a real rough winter for roads,” Yeomans told the Bethel Town Board at the April 26 meeting. He was addressing the question of what roads would be repaired this season. “More roads need to be done than there is money in the budget for.”

The flooding, freezing, thawing and snowfall of the past year has taken its toll on local roads. Some road edges are crumbling into the soft shoulders, weakened by the weight of snow and snowplows. Other roads have potholes, dips and humps caused by damage to the base the pavement covers. That leads to rough traveling for many residents.

“In the first three months,” Yeomans said, “we’ve already spent about $18,000 repairing flood and winter damage.” Some of that money was originally slated to go to improving or repairing other roads in town.

Back in October, Yeomans submitted a list of roads that were to be repaired this year. Now, that list needs to be revised to take into account the change in condition of some roads and the change in the funds available to make the repairs.

“It costs us roughly $4.50 to $5.00 per foot to pave a road,” he said. “A little less in Smallwood because the roads are narrower. But those costs keep rising.” Full repairs of the Town’s roads would cost about $424,000.

Costs rise as the damage to the roads increases and as the prices of petroleum based products rise. The blacktop used to cover roads, the fuel that runs the machinery, even the oil used to seal and protect the town’s dirt roads, have all increased drastically in price over the past year.

On top of that, money expected from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help defer the repair cost from flood damage was denied. “We applied twice and were turned down twice,” Bethel Supervisor Allan Scott said.

“If FEMA would have come across, we would be much better off,” Yeomans said. With that money, he could have done more than just patch the damage.

As Yeomans and the highway department rework the list of roads, they will continue to patch what damage they can, maintaining the majority of the roads as well as they can. Steps need to be taken to facilitate full-scale repairs. “The board has to look at various options,” Scott said. “Those options may include bonding.”

Contrary to what may be expected, the town’s unpaved roads have fared better than the paved ones. The highway department has graded some of the rougher ones and others will be done in the coming weeks. “This is one time,” Yeomans said, “when I wish I lived on a dirt road.”

At the meeting the board also:

• Presented Herman Reinshagen with a plaque in recognition of his many years of service to the ZBA
• Encouraged members of the community to help keep the roads clean by pitching in during the town’s clean up on May 5
• Approved the renewal of the town’s insurance policy
• Recessed the meeting until May 8 when they will meet in joint session with the planning board to view a presentation from GF Entertainment