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improvements can be added or taken out in any year. He showed a map of county roads with roads due for improvements colored in blue. Other suggested improvements that have not been formally added to the plan yet were colored in green.
He said several of the road improvements colored green were areas in the hollows above Washington and Sperryville were culverts regularly wash out in floods. "We need to protect some of those pipes we put in last summer and re-put in again this year," he said.
He said even after an improvement has been put in the plan, it may not be carried out and cited Route 630 near Wakefield Country Day School as an example. He said there was objection to VDOT plans at a public hearing. Although people had asked VDOT to do something about flooding on the road, others objected to taking out trees and "the project is dead unless the board tells us to put it back," he said.
Ron Makela said the VDOT policy of plowing primary roads clear of snow before secondary roads are plowed ignores the perception that "around here Route 642, as far as people are concerned is a primary." He said the policy of leaving crossover sections snow covered hampers traffic and causes a "problem for the fire department."
Milton Thacker, with the VDOT Warrenton office, said he was new to the area last winter and this was the first time he had seen snow drifts like those. He said as a result of the blizzard last winter VDOT had worked with the county to develop alternative plans for snows of 10 inches or more. He said roads to all the county’s fire stations will be opened by special contractors.
J.D. Carter, Amissville Fire Chief, said last winter a VDOT truck refused to plow out a cross over for an ambulance stuck in the median strip.
Mr. Moore and Mr. Thacker urged him to watch plowing operations this winter and indicate if such problems remain. Mr. Thacker said VDOT trucks can plow out crossovers "as long as it doesn’t impede our work."
Mr. Carter asked about replacing a bridge on Route 645. He said a fire truck cannot cross that bridge. Mr. Moore said it was due to be replaced in 2003 or 2004.
Mr. Makela asked why VDOT mows a section of the median and then plants wildflowers. He said they could just leave the wildflowers already growing there.
Mr. Moore said the wildflower program is independent of VDOTs usual work. He said the department is trying to find a balance between those who want the road sides to look "manicured" and those who want them left natural.
One person asked why the fire tax is applied to automobiles.
Mr. Carter said when the fire tax was first proposed, it would have only been on real estate, but the board of
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