The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

The announcement that the board plans to appoint Craig Randall as interim town supervisor wasn’t the only news at the Peru Town Board’s Thursday, July 11 meeting.

Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell reported bad and good news about the closed Telegraph Road bridge. NYS formally emailed him that the project did not qualify for a Bridge NY grant. Since grant funding isn’t pending, Farrell hopes construction can begin about March 2025 rather than in 2026 and be completed by September 2025. He emphasized that his hope depends on approvals by NYS DEC and the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers.  Farrell said he filed construction permit applications with the two agencies on Monday, July 9.

Two years from now, the town will have to replace an even larger bridge on Westcott Road. Farrell notified town engineers Engineering Ventures to begin planning that $1 million+ project. Farrell doesn’t expect Bridge NY funding.

Bruce Drive resident Karyn Langlais presented photos of badly deteriorated road shoulders and pavement issues on Bruce Drive and Telegraph Road. She asked Michael Farrell how he determines his road paving schedule. Farrell said he evaluates road conditions and his available funds.  This year, he plans to complete paving John Boswell Road, Davern Road between Union Road and Route 22, and, if there’s money, Rock Road and Alexander Road. He’s already paved Knob Hill Road and  Locust Drive. Farrell said he plans to pave Telegraph Road after the bridge is reopened.

A four-way stop should be erected at Sullivan Road and Fuller Road intersection in the next 30 days. Telegraph Road’s partial closure has increased traffic on Fuller Road.

The town will be buying something other than a 2025 Freightliner plow truck. Over the past 18 months, parts shortages have upped the delivery date to sometime in 2025. NYS mandated that beginning January 1, 2025, Mike Farrell expects the state will be rescending the electric mandate, but not until sometime in 2025. Users have discovered that cold weather severely impacts electric snow plow hydraulics, making their use unfeasible. The seller can deliver a 2025 Western Star 47X truck by December 2024; therefore, the board authorized its purchase at $351,946, $13,000 more than the Freightliner would have cost.

Longtime planning board member Mark Robinson asked to step down, but he will continue serving as an alternate member. Jerry McGovern will move from alternate to regular member.

The box culvert structure recently installed on Cook Road cost the town $129,000. The board authorized the transfer of $176,319 to that account to pay that bill and other costs. Installation of the box culvert by Ed Garrow & Sons cost the town $142,936.

The Peru Gazette thanks Bill Baggs for starting and stopping the video camera for this meeting.