Weeds lead to call for super's job

8/13/2008

By Patsy Nicosia

Former Cobleskill Mayor Bill Gilmore demanded everything but Highway Superintendent Tom Fissell’s head after a dispute over East End weeds boiled over last Tuesday.
At issue was the median just west of Wal-Mart.
Created by DOT as a gateway to the village during Mr. Gilmore’s administration, the median had become overrun with weeds—until Cobleskill Supervisor Roger Cohn and a handful of other volunteers stepped in to take on the job themselves.
Though that was applauded as a job long overdue by the Cobleskill’s Brian Kaiser, at the same time Mr. Kaiser “implored the board to come up with a solution sooner rather than later.”
Mr. Kaiser also called broken lights in the median “an eyesore” and said that though CPI had looked into formally “adopting” the stretch of Route 7 through a DOT program, the requirements, which include lane closures, cones, signs, and flagmen, are just too onerous for a group of volunteers.
“Not unless it’s a last resort,” he said.
Sandy MacKay, deputy mayor, said there was an agreement between the village and DOT that the Highway Department would be responsible for maintaining the median.
“The Highway Department knew and it hasn’t been done,” he said. “That’s no way to run a Highway Department and no way to run a village.”
However, in a series of emails provided by Mr. Fissell, questions over how to maintain the median—and who would be doing it—began as far back as 2005 and by April 2006, arborist and Street Tree Committee member Fred Breglia was recommending the beds be moved because they were “ugly and will not survive.”
Grass was suggested as the best alternative.
Responding to Mr. MacKay Tuesday, Trustee Mark Galasso defended the Highway Department and said the village needs to look at alternatives.
“Our Highway Department simply does not have the manpower to maintain that median,” Mr. Galasso said, adding he’s not in favor of adding overtime, either.
As the discussion heated up, Mr. Gilmore, who was mayor when the project was designed, said Mr. Fissell “was well aware of what his responsibilities were and it appalls me to no end [that we have a] highway superintendent who choses not to do the work.
“Our highway superintendent is not to be exonerated…The decision’s he’s made have made us the laughingstock of Schoharie County.
“If he can’t do his job, it’s time to find someone who can do it!”
After Mayor Mike Sellers gaveled Mr. Gilmore down, trustees discussed alternatives to the median plantings there now, including switching them to grass at a cost of $10,000, seasonal plantings, or wildflowers.
“A village board meeting is not the place to decide what to plant,” Mr. MacKay said after a half-hour; Mayor Sellers named Mr. Gilmore and Trustee Carol McGuire to come up with a solution.
Until then, he agreed to have the Highway Department maintain the strip.
Afterwards, Mr. Fissell, who wasn’t at the meeting, said he was surprised at Mr. Gilmore’s attack.
“We’ve banged heads before, but we’ve always been able to talk,” he said.
“Finger-pointing accomplishes nothing—and this is bazookas. There’s more than enough blame to go around—and I’ve got the emails to back it up. I was the only one cognizant [that this was going to be a problem.]”
Mr. Fissell said he called DOT the day after the meeting and they agreed to send a crew down this week for a proper lane closure so the cleanup could be completed.
Mr. Fissell said the median’s only been the village’s responsibility since November 2007.
“I’ve got emails from 2004 saying it wasn’t a good idea, that it would be a weed-infested mess if it wasn’t maintained and if we didn’t have an action plan. If anyone was cognizant of what was going on, it was me.
“It’s very easy to have a scapegoat.”