For the past 20 years, three local contractors – Jack Shaw and Sons, Landcrafters and Quonset Hardscape have been responsible for plowing and sanding roughly 60 miles of Woolwich roads.

Last year, voters raised $425,803 for snowplowing and sanding. The select board is recommending raising $527,087 for the coming winter, an amount they said is more in line with what other communities are paying.

“Woolwich currently pays an average of $5,800 a mile for snowplowing. What we discovered was that eight towns in the area pay anywhere from $5,878 to $10,111 a mile,” Selectman Allison Hepler stated in an email to Wiscasset Newspaper. But unlike in Woolwich, contractors in those other towns don’t have to buy their own sand and salt, she added.

“The town of Woolwich has been getting a great deal for its snowplowing,” stated Hepler.

Past increases have been tied to the cost of living. If voters go with the new contract, Woolwich’s snowplowing contractors will be paid an average of $8,500 a mile.

When the board met with the contractors in late February, it heard a number of reasons the current contract doesn’t meet their operating costs, Hepler said.

One of those reasons is linked to global warming. Although recent winters have been milder with less snow, there have been more frequent ice storms requiring more sanding and salting. Labor and insurance costs have also increased.

“The townspeople, as well as our first responders and school bus contractor, have found our three snowplowing contractors to be reliable, adaptable, and available on short notice,” added Hepler.

Jack Shaw and Sons is responsible for three routes, Landcrafters has one and Quonset Hardscape does the downtown and municipal lots.

“The per mile price is a little confusing because if you multiple $8,500 by 60 miles, you get $510,000,” Helper added. “The downtown route, which is only two miles, is not a per mile price because of the narrow roads and the intersections with Route 1. Route 1 plow trucks tend to throw the snow back into the side roads.” The proposed contracts for downtown are $22,146 and $11,941 for parking lots, she wrote.

Chairman David King Sr. said the board unanimously supported the proposal, but he added the final say will come from voters. “It will be on the warrant when we hold the annual town meeting to consider the 2020-2021 budget. My hope is that the voters will support the increase. The alternative is we’d have to go out to bid for next year’s snowplowing,” he added.

On another matter, King said the board will take up the issue of when to hold the town meeting when they next meet, at 3 p.m. Monday, May 18. The board plans to continue meeting in the second-floor hearing room at the town office, broadcasting the meetings live on its Facebook page.

“People can log on, watch us live and submit questions,” added King. “So far it’s worked out pretty well but I think I can speak for everyone in saying, we’ll all be a lot happier when things get back to normal.”  

Absentee voting encouraged

Woolwich voters will consider Regional School Unit 1’s proposed 2020-2021 school budget at the state Primary Election, recently rescheduled to Tuesday, July 14. Town officials want to hold the vote at Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road. “We’re planning to set up the polls in the school cafeteria with social distancing measures in place, although we’re really encouraging people to vote absentee,” said King.

Absentee ballots will be available June 15. They can be requested now at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/absent.html

The municipal building remains closed. For more information on the election and absentee balloting, contact Town Clerk Chelsea Lane at 442-7094.

COVID-19 resources for residents

The Woolwich Public Communications Committee has prepared an information sheet addressing needs and concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit: https://www.woolwich.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Woolwich-COVID-Resources-2020-04-21.pdf