Members of the Southold Town Board discussed budgeting money at Tuesday’s work session for a capital improvement fund to fix up worn buildings at Southold Town’s Highway Department.
Jim McMahon, the town’s director of public works, approached the board about hiring help to fix the roof and front entrance of the highway department building. He said that the work is beyond what the highway staff is capable of doing in-house.
“It’s a lot of work with the time it will take,” he said. “The highway building isn’t handicap accessible and the front stairs are pretty well shot. Why this wasn’t done six years ago or so I don’t know.”
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he felt like repairs to the aging buildings would be like “putting perfume on a pig.”
“We need a new building,” he said.
Russell said that a few years ago, a building was supposed to be erected at the Waster Transfer Station in Cutchogue to house a mulch-bagging machine. But the town sold the machine and never constructed the building.
“For budget purposes we had the solid waste district ‘sell’ the building to the Department of Public Works for use as a new shop,” Russell said. “The building has yet to be built.”
Russell agreed with Councilman Al Krupski at the meeting that repairs needed to be done in the meantime.
“Pete Harris and his crew need better working conditions,” he said. “The buildings there are all well worn and the mechanics shop is especially in need to upgrading. The new walkway we agreed to today is a far cry from what his needs are but it is a start.”
