WILTON – The Highway Department may be getting tired of all this winter weather, but director John Welch hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

Reporting to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night, the front page of his report stated:

Snow: from Dec. 4 to March 4.

Sand: gone

Salt: budgeted money spent

Repairs: constant

Fuel: over budget

THE END.

He said Wilton has had approximately 130 inches of snow this winter, to date, and the town’s trucks have been servicing roads more than the last two winters combined.

While his crew has been conserving sand and salt whenever possible, another 1,000 yards of sand have been ordered, he told the board.

With the salt budget depleted, Welch and Town Manager Peter Nielsen have been working to find funds left in the department’s budget that could be used for salt. The budget for fuel and overtime for the workers are on target at this point, he said.

The board voted unanimously to leave it to the discretion of the town manager and Welch to look over the accounts in the department’s budget and use funds from other items to support the winter expenses.

Welch also told the board how the department has managed to have a sidewalk tractor available for use this past week. While there has been talk about getting one over the last couple years, Welch asked a supplier in Skowhegan if they were available for demonstrations. The company brought one over last week just before a storm. Welch used it to clear sidewalks in about five to six hours, he said. The job normally would have taken two days with the town’s equipment.

Rental rates were checked, and over the weekend the tractor was rented for a few hours at $60 an hour. The secondhand unit sells for $25,000 and has a new blower attached for $8,500, while new units cost $90,000 or better, he said.

The unit will be returned shortly, Welch said, but the trial period gave him an opportunity to explore options.

The board commended the department for the excellent work they have done this season with an aging fleet.

In other business, the board noted the Planning Board will hold a training session at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the town office on land use and natural resource protection with a focus on water resources. It is provided at no charge by the Maine Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials. The meeting is open to everyone.

The board also discussed the prospects for a sale of the Primary School. Members agreed they would consider less than the $370,000 asking price. The town budgeted $12,000 last June for upkeep of the building until a buyer could be found. The real estate agent has received a couple of inquiries, but was not sure how serious they were.

The board chose Selectman Irv Faunce and Chairman Paul Gooch to represent the board in union negotiations for wages and other conditions of employment for the highway and police departments.

Fundraising for the Fire Department’s portion of a recently purchased rescue truck has gone very well, Faunce told the board. With several donations already received, he expects to bring a check for the amount to the next board meeting. A public supper will be held March 29, and any additional funds from that will be used to equip the vehicle, he said.