State Grant Will Help Montgomery Fix Local Roads

A state grant originally earmarked for a renovation of the Route 30 Bridge will now help the refurbish more local roads.

Finance Director Jeff Zoephel explained at Wednesday night’s Finance Committee meeting that the village had received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, to help restore the bridge over Route 30.

However, Zoephel said, that amount of money “doesn’t begin to touch” the costs required for that project, and the village has no other funds to complete it. Village leaders told DCEO they could not accept the grant, but state officials offered to give the money anyway, if it could be used for another purpose.

Trustees all agreed Wednesday that the money should be funneled into the village’s local roads program. Engineer Pete Wallers said the village would continue to follow its five-year road reconstruction plan, but the $100,000 grant would allow them to get further down the list than they’d originally planned over the next year.

Trustees also agreed to look at revising the village’s policy on employee vehicles. Trustee Andy Kaczmarek suggested either eliminating those vehicles, or keeping them within the village limits, which he said would save thousands. Eliminating village vehicles would affect everyone currently using one except Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura, whose vehicle is guaranteed by her contract.

Village staff plans to report back with more information, including what kind of cost savings the village may see by eliminating or reducing the use of vehicles, by the June Finance Committee meeting.