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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Letters to the Editor



      Department Move Makes No Sense
I AM WRITING IN RESPONSE TO THE TOWN OF EDGEWOOD'S DECISION to move the town's road department to the sewer plant's location. This position was taken by the mayor, clerical staff, and council and was put into effect at the beginning of this month.
    I let the town occupy my property on Edgewood 7 for a road department and animal control enforcer department for five years free of charge. When the town got on its feet and could pay other suppliers and rentals, I decided they could pay me a nominal fee for storage rental which included an individual to look after the yard after working hours. I asked a fee of $800 per month, and the town paid me very graciously. The first part of May, I wrote a letter to the town asking them to increase my rental payment to $1,000 per month. I had discussed this increase with other rental people, and all of them told me I was being very generous to the town. I received a letter from the mayor within seven days informing me that the town would be moving the road department to the sewer plant on Bassett Boulevard. This is no problem for me because the lot that I had leased to the town is prime property.
    During my mayoral administration, the council, clerical staff, and I planned to move the road department to Section 16, which is a centralized location for the town. At that time we had enough money to construct a building and yard to accommodate the road department. After a little driving and mileage checking, I discovered that the sewer plant located on the far east side of the town boundary is 4.8 miles from Town Hall. The distance from the sewer plant on Bassett Boulevard to the northwest corner of the town boundary is 8.7 miles. It's only 1.7 miles from the town offices to the south boundary at Edgewood 7 and the county line. Think about this incompetent decision: It will cost the town thousands of dollars just in travel time and fuel. Add into the equation wear and tear on the equipment, it will cost as much to travel as it does to work the machinery!
    The only advantage to relocating the road department to the sewer plant, I feel, is that the town will pay no rent. From this one positive aspect, I'm glad I negotiated the 40-acre donation to the town where the sewer plant is located from the George Bassett Estate shortly after the town was incorporated.
    HOWARD CALKINS
    Edgewood