Village of Lawrence Notebook: Bobcat, Rock Hall Road and Snow

Road conditions and the unusual weather have been on the forefront of people's minds in Lawrence as well as across much of the country this winter.

The village board of trustees entered last Thursday night's meeting with several anxious citizens waiting to have their voices heard and to propose some new ideas for the town.

New proposals as well as ongoing issues came under intense discussion and scrutiny for nearly three hours before the board retired to their executive session following the meeting.

Purchase of New Bobcat

While the board of trustees have discussed purchasing a Bobcat utility vehicle for assisting in snow removal and construction , they decided not to make a concrete decision until the next meeting.

Currently, there are three different models under consideration ranging in price from roughly $54,000 to $58,000.

The trustees questioned whether they would save money by purchasing the vehicle rather than continuing to rent one at the current rate of approximately $2,000 a month.

Mayor Martin Oliner was not ready to make a decision, however, he was confident that the village needs to own the vehicle rather than rent.

“We definitely need a Bobcat to continue to clean the snow, because snow blowers can’t do it and you have five guys shoveling,” Oliner said. “With this piece of equipment, this is five guys replaced every hour.”

Proposed Pathway for south side of Rock Hall Road

Aaron Frelder originally introduced a proposal to construct a pathway on the south side of Rock Hall Road back in September.

He and several supporters were there late into the meeting Thursday night to ensure their plans for a safe alternative to jaywalking across this intersection were still under consideration.

“This is certainly a step forward, however, you probably will not actually see a Bobcat in the ground next week,” Trustee Michael Fragin said.

According to the Board, Sam Schwartz Engineering is currently being consulted to design a solution for the proposed pathway.

“What it’s going to be is what Sam Schwartz is going to recommend,” Oliner said. “We will all discuss it, and we are not going to hide it. What we are trying to do, is get a path that’s safe.”

Fire Hydrant Snow Removal

Chief Joseph Sperber of the came in towards the end of the meeting to discuss the importance of keeping fire hydrants clear of snow, particularly during this unusual winter.

Since the main concern for the fire department is access to the hydrants in case of an emergency, he and the board both agreed that something should be done to get the word out to the people of Lawrence.

 “We’re just trying to educate the public,” Sperber said.