Advertisement

The Carsonville district will be split between the Cedardale Garage, which is the northeast side of the county, and garages in Sandusky and Croswell. However, the Carsonville Garage equipment and manpower will still cover that area.

The road department will save approximately $65,000 per year in wages and benefits by not replacing a foreman who recently retired from the Cedardale Garage. The plan is to send the Carsonville Garage foreman to Cedardale

The Carsonville facility will close beginning this week and through mid-winter to see how the new salting routes and staffing configurations will work out.

"If it works out well, we'll ask to make it permanent. If it doesn't work out we'll ask to hire a foreman or look at what other options we have," said Assistant Engineer-Manager Dale Stolicker.

"I hate to see anything close. I'm willing to see on a temporary basis, nothing permanent," stated Road Commissioner Don Rickett, who lives in the Carsonville area.

"It's temporary. If it doesn't work out we can re-open it," noted Board Chairman Harold Donaghy.

In the past four and a half years 14 hourly works have retired and not been replaced, reducing the number of hourly workers at the six garages.

"There were days when he (Carsonville foreman) had nobody to supervise (because of absences and fewer employees)," Engineer-Manager Robb Falls said.

Falls said he has talked to officials in the townships that will be affected and they have no problem with the changes.

The memo he shared with township officials says the road commission's income has flat-lined and the commission has been told to expect a 4% decrease next year. In addition material costs have increased. In 2005 a tandem dump truck cost $85,000, in 2009 it will cost $110,000. Asphalt has gone up from $32/ton a couple years ago to $42/ton this year.

He told township officials, "over the years the road commission has become more efficient with less equipment and employees. Output has increased with newer equipment and service plans, larger hauling capacities with trailers and also tandems (trucks) compared to single axles".

In addition, Falls reported they plan to use wings on six tandem trucks this winter to try and eliminate one of the passes down the roads during snow removal.

He admits the foreman will have to oversee more miles of roads, which will likely require additional communication with the truck drivers and township officials, as well as additional customers for road work and complaints.

"It will be large area for one man, we've talked to the foremen," said Stolicker.

The new garage districts will range from 397 miles in Cederdale to 488 in Sandusky. The largest districts currently are Sandusky with 364 miles and Shabbona with 370 miles.

Falls noted Huron and Tuscola counties are both getting along with just four garages now.

"We've just got to do it, we've got to consolidate," said Vice-Chairman Ron Gerstenberger.

"We've got to try and cut expenses some place," added Donaghy.

However, Falls expects the plan will make it easier to perform tasks because the garages will have more men.

He also thinks salting the roads in the winter will be more efficient because there will be more direct routes across the state highways and primary roads with fewer operators turning around at the boundaries of their garage districts.

What will they do with the Carsonville Garage if the plan works out?

Falls said they haven't discussed that yet, but "I would not want to sell it. I'd like to use if for storage, although if we ever got a new facility, I'd have a different thought".

The board's long-term goal is to build a large storage-office facility at the new maintenance facility in Sandusky.