Highway Committee Approves Possible Personnel Changes

SCHOHARIE – During the June Highway Committee meeting, members approved several changes for the Department of Public Works. The meeting was chaired by Broome's Steve Weinhofer along with Cobleskill's Werner Hampel, Richmondville's Jeff Haslun, and Schoharie's Ben Oevering. 

Deputy Commissioner of Engineering Darrin Palmatier requested the committee motion to recreate another Grade 13 Public Works Office Assistant II for the front office in the event that an employee returns before her leave of absence ends June 28. 

The county would likely eliminate one of the Grade 9 motor equipment operator 1 positions and not fill two of six summer help positions to make the budgeting work. If the employee does not return back, the current structure would revert by eliminating the second Grade 13 position and keeping the MEO 1 and two summer help positions. 

Several projects were discussed, including ditching or using the Gradall for two miles on Hubbard Road, one mile on Stryker Road, and problem spots on Brooker Hollow Road and Clauverwie Road. There are also cross culvert projects on North Road (two culverts), West Fulton Road, Stryker Road, Beards Hollow Road, Sawyer Hollow Road (two), and Stone Store Road. Paving along 1.2 miles on Slate Hill Road was also in progress. 

A contract for the Caverns Road Bridge project was also discussed and later taken up by the Finance Committee as cited in another article in this week's edition.