Card worries about future storms, not today’s flakes
Highway Superintendent Jay Card Jr. and his team are ready for snow today and tonight. But he worries about future, more intense storms that could challenge efforts to keep Island roads clear and safe.“This isn’t really much of a storm,” Mr. Card said about today’s forecast. The department hasn’t had to dip into its budget for tackling storm cleanup yet this year and is prepared with supplies and equipment to handle the first couple of snow accumulations, the superintendent said.
But what worries him is a fleet of trucks that all have at least 100,000 miles on them. If he loses one or two trucks while crews are working future storms this year, that brings the fleet down at least 20 percent, he said.
The Town Board has approved purchase of one new vehicle this year — the first since 2011 when Mr. Card was elected to the job as Highway Superintendent and Public Works Commissioner.
What residents don’t realize is that not only do highway crews have to plow and put down sand — last year they used about 1,800 tons of sand — to keep the roads passable, but after all is clear, that sand has to be removed, Mr. Card said.
Unlike some communities, Shelter Island tries not to use much salt on its roadways because, “What we use ends up in what we drink,” he said.
During the budget season, Mr. Card and Town Engineer John Cronin argued for creating a budget to establish a regular maintenance schedule for equipment and road and building maintenance.
But Town Board members held fast to their practice of funding on a “pay as you go basis,” rejecting the proposal to create such a fund.
Throughout his tenure, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said “pay as you go” has served the town well without having to tax residents for anything not immediately needed. In an emergency, the supervisor said the Town Board could dip into the fund balance account, rather than have money locked up in a designated fund.
The problem, Mr. Card said, is that when you’re in an emergency situation, you have no control. Costs are generally higher, but you have no choice but to pay the price, he said.
During the Great Recession that started in 2008, it would have been a good time for the federal government and state and municipal officials to invest in infrastructure that not only would have met important needs throughout the country, but would have created needed jobs, Mr. Card said.
He and Mr. Cronin identified a number of projects they said needed attention, including a new roof on the Medical Center; repointing of bricks at the Police Station; and work at Justice Hall, the assessor’s office, the engineer’s office, the American Legion Hall and Town Hall.
“What fires are we trying to put out?” Mr. Dougherty asked.
“We’re proposing a shift from putting out fires” to organized and ongoing maintenance, Mr. Cronin responded.
Mr. Card’s original budget plan called for spending hike of 23.5 percent, while Mr. Dougherty recommended a 1.5 percent hike.
At the end of the day, there was a slight increase for the Highway and Public Works Departments, but nowhere near the amount he and Mr. Cronin had sought.
