WILTON — Wilton Public Works Foreman John Masse submitted his formal quarterly report to the Select Board on Tuesday, Jan. 23. In it, Masse reported the year of 2023 to be a busy year for the department with three declared disasters reported to the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a potential fourth currently under assessment.

Masse reported significant washouts and other damages throughout the year and listed three major storms as FEMA events: Dec. 23, 2022; May 23, 2023; and June 29, 2023.

For the storm in December 2022, Masse reported shoulder washouts throughout the town as the extent of the damage for that storm. The storm was responsible for roughly 150,000 CMP customers losing power, with 3,000 in Franklin County.

Following that, the next FEMA event that was reported by the department was the May 23 storm, which saw significant and extensive damage to roads throughout Wilton, with Orchard Drive seeing a road washout at the five ft. culvert near Bubier Road.

Butterfield Road also sustained damage where the stream crosses with a three ft. culvert. Other roads that were damaged during the storm include:

• Magrath Road

• Fenderson Hill Road

• Hanslip Road

• Welch Road

• Tobin Flats Road

• Pond Road

• Swett Road

• Gordon Road

• Walker Hill Road

• Preston Road

• Village View Road

• Orchard Road

• Morrison Hill Road

• Sunset Avenue

• Colby Miller Road

• Pratt Road

• Mayo Hill Road

• McCrillis Corner Road

According to Masse, the Public Works Department saw roughly 20 roads get washed out, but was able to have most of them clear within 24 hours of the storm. Following that storm in May, the June 29 storm saw more washouts on McCrillis Corner Road, which Masse stated the department was able to fix in a short amount of time.

The most recent storm, which struck on Dec. 18, 2023, saw many previously damaged roads accruing more damage on top of existing damages from the previous storm in May. Masse reported Butterfield Road, Hanslip Road and Gordon Road as the repeat offenders, and told the Select Board he would be looking into addressing the issues with Butterfield Road by seeking grant funding.

Due to the multiple storms, Masse reported that road paving and other projects were delayed until the spring of this year. “We are planning to pave this spring,” Masse said in his report, “and pave as much as we can to remain in the budgeted amount.”

Despite the setback, the department has begun work on Magrath Road with tree removal and establishing new ditches, as well as laying the first course of four-inch gravel. The department is planning a second layer of four-inch gravel and a layer of one and a half inch gravel this summer.

Masse hopes to begin paving Magrath Road some time this fall. Along with the progress of that project, the department has also completed much needed roadside mowing as well as ditch work on Pleasant Street, Pleasant View Heights, Orchard Drive to the Temple Road, Melcher Road, McCrillis Corner Road, Magrath Road, and Village View Road as needed.

As for FEMA, Masse told the Livermore Falls Advertiser the department is still working with the organization to find out what can be claimed and reimbursed. Masse was not able to give an estimate at this time, but told the Livermore Falls Advertiser the department reported $18,000 in damages to FEMA. “We lucked out,” he said.

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