In mid-October, the team at AdkAction traveled to Washington County, NY to meet with highway department leaders and operators for a pre-season workshop on winter maintenance techniques and plans for the upcoming winter season. Convening at the Whitehall town garage, this event served as a platform for highway department leaders from various Washington County towns to collectively strategize and share their plans for snow and ice removal this winter.
Under the guidance of winter maintenance professionals, including Phill Sexton from Wit Advisers and Washington County Highway Department Supervisor, Jim Hogan, the workshop covered current road salt and sand usage by each town and exploration of best winter road maintenance practices. The opportunity for these towns to get together and share their practices fostered a collaborative environment where knowledge and experiences were discussed to develop actionable goals for the upcoming winter season.
Following the morning session, the group transitioned outdoors to a calibration workshop held by Rob Vopleus from Wit Advisers. This hands-on training not only increased the participants’ technical proficiency but also gave them the skill set to return to their garages and calibrate their own equipment which is critical in reducing the amount of road salt applied to our roadways.
AdkAction staff encouraged attending towns to join our Clean Water Safe Roads Network of municipal leaders and shared information about the efforts being made around the region to reduce road salt and protect our waterways.
The Clean Water Safe Roads Network is funded in part by an agreement awarded by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) in partnership with Lake Champlain Basin Program.
