Letter to the editor: Benedetti Recycling Equipment Facts

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I would like to clarify any misinformation regarding the Benedetti Asphalt recycling equipment purchase contained in the bond package vote scheduled for March 15th in Beacon Falls.

I have personally researched and spoken with, at length to Joe Asher, sales rep. at Benedetti Asphalt about their equipment. I have also received letter’s of recommendation from Bainbridge Township, Ohio, the Lake County Engineer’s Office in Ohio, and from the Deputy Service Director Rick Merolla from Akron, Ohio as to the performance, durability, and cost savings attained by using this equipment.

The cost to repave one mile of road using this machine is approx. $50,000. That includes the cost of labor.

Meeting minutes from a Feb 8th 2011 meeting in Bethel,Ct state that,”to re-pave 1 mile of road costs between $150,000-$350,000 dollars.

Another article from the Fairfield Citizen Newspaper dated Feb 13th 2011 states,” on average, the town resurfaces nearly 14 miles of road a year. Current costs amount to roughly $220,000 dollars per repaved mile.”

I have heard of rumors that these machines will cost Beacon Falls over $2 million dollars. This is false.

The proposal Selectman Cable was presented with was for $1.5 million dollars,including a roller, and up to one month of on-site training from the Benedetti Corporation for the Town’s employees.

And we all know that there are going to be many more roads in need of work come spring. With these machines, we will be able to address the need of the town directly, without having to go out for bid, or pay some outside contractor to do the work.

Any rumors that you may have heard about these machines doing lousy work on roadways in Connecticut is completely false. These machines have never been used in Connecticut. They also only need 3 people to operate. No more , no less.

Lastly, if you think there is some sort of political gamesmanship going on, let me assure you, there is not.

I am a former head of the Beacon Falls Republican Town Committee. Recommending an idea to save money to a Democratic First Selectman. This idea has been approved by a bi-partisan Board of Finance (of which I am a member) , all 3 selectman, and the current Republican Town Committee Chair.

This is all about trying to save money during difficult economic times in order to help pay for things the town does, and will need to function.

From Beacon Hose Company, to EMS, from Park and Rec, to Police protection. These machines will allow us to free-up money that would normally be spent on paving projects to purchase new police cruisers, ambulances’, pumper trucks and equipment needed to maintain the parks and services we have come to expect.

I urge all citizens to go out and vote yes on March 15th for the entire bond package. Especially on the question concerning the roadwork and sewer repair. To do so would send a clear message. Not only to surrounding towns’, but to the State as a whole. That Beacon Falls is not only thinking ahead – but thinking smart as well.

Just the mention of the possible purchase of this equipment has other towns in the state looking to purchase part ownership of the equipment should the measure be approved.

We are not going to get any help from Hartford to help pay our bills. In fact, we’ll probably end up getting less help. So Its up to us to come up with ways to maintain town services, without taxing our citizens into poverty.

This is one of those ways.

Take a stand. Be smart. Vote yes.

Louis Krepinevich
Beacon Falls BOF member