Voters in the Town of Lloyd will choose between incumbent Richard Klotz and Leonard Auchmoody for highway superintendent on Election Day, November 3. Here are their responses to questions from the New Paltz Times.
Richard Klotz
What kind of experience do you have that qualifies you for the job of highway superintendent, or to continue in that position?
I’ve been the Town of Lloyd highway superintendent for four years now. I cannot believe how quickly those years have passed by. Having 40-plus years experience in building bridges, preservation and maintenance of roadways, drainage design and erosion control systems have been part of my daily work schedule for as long as I can remember. Attending meetings, having input and discussions while readying various projects, even some not directly related to my department, keeps me busy and always well informed. Completing the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for our town also gave me great insight into areas which are more susceptible to loss than others. We’ve listed these areas and now the County of Ulster has those parcels on record. And, we will continue to update these listings each and every year. Also, having an open-door policy where we welcome all residents to voice their concerns as well as their compliments has helped me, our crew and our town to identify problem areas immediately.
What do you foresee as the biggest challenges facing the department right now?
Currently, our biggest challenge is in maximizing our budget so that our road projects can be fully completed without added costs, as well as the two-plus mile addition of new roadway in the town’s future. I think we’re doing a very good job of staying within our given tax cap. Using all of the highway assets available, including grants and shared service agreements with other municipalities, efficiently enables the highway department to complete some very large projects at a portion of the cost and time it took in previous years. Also, considering the record-breaking winter temperatures we’ve sustained over the last two years, we’ve managed to stretch the taxpayer’s money to the fullest. Equipment management is another huge draw on our budget, but we’ve found that prudent replacement and updating of our equipment has proven to save us both time and money. It takes some extra time on my part to keep up with the condition of the equipment, and to find suitable replacements, but it’s been well worth the effort.
Is environmental impact something that the highway department should be considering? If so, what steps do you think should be taken to do so?
The highway department and its workload are definitely affected by certain environmental impacts from residential, commercial development and system upgrades from utility companies. Each situation brings with it a myriad concerns. I have a good rapport with all the department heads, and together we work through each situation to best serve our residents and keep them safe. I wish to continue relationships with our staff, other departments and most importantly, our constituents, who have a loyal advocate for their needs and concerns. It is my aim to continue to build this department into something that the Town of Lloyd can be proud of and assured that their best interests are always at the forefront of our considerations. With these goals in mind, and with the accomplishments already in place, it is my hope that we can continue to work together to further establish our desire to serve the people of the Town of Lloyd.
Leonard Auchmoody
What kind of experience do you have that qualifies you for the job of highway superintendent, or to continue in that position?
I grew up in a company that had garbage trucks, so I’ve been around equipment all my life. I was drafted in 1968, came back in 1972, and I went to work for a construction company in town. I worked with them until 1988, but bought some of my own trucks in 1983 to rent and work with. I was in charge of moving the 115 pieces of equipment, getting it in, getting it out, getting it on the job, so logistics was a great part of that and is a great part of being highway superintendent. As far as the repair and maintenance of those machines, since 1988 I’ve owned all my own equipment: loaders, back hoes, bulldozers, excavators, crushers, so I’ve taken care of that maintenance or gotten that maintenance done and known where to get the parts and pieces. I’ve also known when to move something out or when to repair it. I think that’s probably my biggest attribute.
What do you foresee as the biggest challenges facing the department right now?
Correcting the snow plowing from last year, but I’ve said before and I’ll say this again: what I want to do if elected is a comprehensive road study. I want to consolidate highway, water and sewer with the same engineering firm, and then we have to bite the bullet, come up with a four-, six-, eight-year plan, whatever the case may be to get the roads done and done properly. It doesn’t do any good to put blacktop on a road that really needs to be repaired because in a short order of time, it still needs to be repaired again. To do that and stay within the two-percent cap will be challenging, but it’s a challenge that needs to be met. I believe we’ve paved roads that should have been repaired.
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Is environmental impact something that the highway department should be considering? If so, what steps do you think should be taken to do so?
Most of the environmental impact is how you dispose of the blacktop and other materials when you dig up a road. Do you need to put up a silt fence when doing a job to keep the runoff out of the streams and the ponds? But everything you’re going to put on the road is going to be approved. If you oil and chip it, the oil’s already been approved. That’s not as big an issue as you would think it would be because there’s only certain materials you can use.
To learn about the Lloyd town supervisor and Town Board candidates, visit newpaltzx.com.
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