Oxford Public Works Operates Under Stress
It says something about a community when social media lights up over something as simple as a crosswalk.
On Tuesday morning, parents and children heading to school through Oxford’s downtown core discovered newly-painted crosswalks at the busy intersection in front of Town Hall.
Reaction online was swift, complimentary of the painter, but critical of the town. The assumption was that a “Good Samaritan” had taken it into his own hands to repaint the crosswalks, since the Town hadn’t done so.
But social media got it wrong. In a statement released later in the day, the Town of Oxford revealed it had hired a local contractor to do the work, citing a problem with the regular supply chain for the special paint used for this purpose.
In an interview yesterday, Oxford’s Chief Administrative Officer, Linda Cloney, said the challenges in finding the right kind of paint used on asphalt meant the town wasn’t able to prepare the crosswalks in time for the new school year in September, and that supply issue continues today.
Cloney said while some suggested using regular paint, which wears away quickly under traffic, the town’s Public Works staff simply don’t have the time to re-paint the crosswalks every few weeks under that scenario.
Cloney confirmed that the paint used by the contractor for these three sidewalks was “the last of his supply”, and no other crosswalks will be painted until a new source is found.
The downtown intersection is a trouble spot, with the town’s crossing guard expressing frustration at the drivers who seem to be unable to see the crosswalks and stop signs.
Cheryl Ingraham hopes improvements will come soon, since drivers frequently fail to stop, putting pedestrians at risk. It’s a problem she sees on an almost-daily basis.
Cloney says although a study of the intersection was performed a few years ago, recommendations by staff to improve signage come with a cost. So far, recommendations to Town Council haven’t made the cut at budget time. There have been other priorities and a very tight budget.
The CAO says a recent meeting of the Police Advisory Board provided new recommendations to council to add flashing solar-powered lights to the intersection. That option will feed into the discussions for next year’s spring budget.
As for Public Works, the crew continues to operate short one member. In the spring, the town’s Director of Public Works, Wes Adshade, was dismissed.
Finding a replacement has proven challenging, says Cloney. A qualified candidate was identified and offered the position, who decided not to accept a salaried position. The supervisor position cannot earn overtime, regardless of the demands of the job, and must manage “time-in-lieu” instead.
Another candidate was unable to commit due to the challenge in finding local housing in town — a problem that is affecting communities all over the province.
There are other candidates in the queue, says Cloney, who hopes to have that position filled soon.
The challenge at the moment, in addition to being one member down, is that the crew members need their time off and are due vacation periods. That’s been hard to schedule with so many things on the “to-do” list.
Public Works personnel are dealing with the usual street maintenance issues, and also looking ahead to the needs of the changing season.
The town vehicles and machinery are being prepped for winter snow plowing, plans are in the works for putting up the holiday decorations and lights, and the public works crew is receiving training next week to update heavy equipment certification.
Cloney says the crew has been under pressure due to the usual suspect —water breaks— with a planned fix for one break on Birchwood Road turning into a four-break situation in one day.
Water main repairs should be completed this week, while pothole patching is on the schedule for next week.
A paving tender issued in the spring using “50-cent dollars” (matching funds from the federal government under the Canada Community-Building Fund) enabled Oxford to pave a section of Lower Main Street and Sunset Avenue, but with the rising cost of paving, other planned sections —on Pugwash Road and Main Street— can only be patched this year.
Cloney says the town had to stick to the budget, being fiscally responsible and socking away money in the capital reserve. Without money in reserves, the town cannot apply for matching funds for future capital projects. And the town desperately needs to move ahead with infrastructure work.
Cloney says the many complaints about the conditions of Main Street have been heard, but it wouldn’t make sense to put down new pavement now just to rip it up next year when a major project is planned to replace a key water main from James Street up to Hanlon Street. That line is about 70 years old and very much in need of replacement.
The town is hoping to secure enough funding to undertake that work and possibly do paving at the same time. For the moment, patching is all the Town is able to afford.
Oxford’s five-year Capital Plan for infrastructure projects is available for viewing on the town’s website at https://www.town.oxford.ns.ca/1366-approved-5-year-capital-plan-2022-2027/file.html>.
Add your comments below.