Town Meeting · Lanesborough, MA · March 2026

DPW Plowing:
A Pattern of Waste

Video-documented evidence of equipment misuse, property damage, and resource misallocation on a single-lane dirt road — during 13 recorded snow events.

13
Events Documented
7
With Video Evidence
3+
Property Damage Incidents
1
30-Ton Loader on a Dirt Lane

01 Key Findings

🚜

Oversized Equipment — The Bigger Story

A 30-ton HD940A construction loader — the kind built for demolition sites — was deployed twice on a single-lane dirt road. On Jan. 17, video confirms no comparable dirt roads in town (Kessler, Roseberg, Silver St., Moppet) received this treatment. A construction loader on a dirt lane is an indefensible use of public equipment and public funds.

🔁

Excessive Passes

Up to 5 plow passes documented for as little as 2–3 inches of snowfall. Dec. 10 and Dec. 19: 3 plows, 5 passes each — standard plow trucks, not the loader. On Jan. 28, a half-inch of snow triggered 2 passes. Video on file for all events.

⚠️

Property Damage

Trees, signs, security cameras, fencing, and lawns sustained documented damage across multiple events — all captured on video. The town has not publicly acknowledged liability for any of these incidents.

❓

Inconsistent Response

3 inches on Nov. 11 received zero response. 2.5 inches on Jan. 26 triggered a grader, loader, and two plows. No clear written standard appears to govern equipment dispatch decisions.

02 Incident Log

DateSnowfallSeverityWhat Was ObservedVideo Evidence
Nov 11, 2025 3 in No Response No plows sent at all. No recording
Nov 28, 2025 2.5 in Overdeployed 2 plows, 1 pass each. Obvious damage to lawn. ▶ View Clip
Dec 2, 2025 7 in Unrecorded Did not record. No recording
Dec 10, 2025 2 in Excessive 3 plows, 5 passes for 2 inches of snow. Standard plow trucks — not the loader. ▶ View Clip
Dec 19, 2025 3.5 in Excessive 3 plows, 5 passes. Standard plow trucks. Barely sanded afterward. ▶ View Clip
Jan 7, 2026 3 in Questionable Small plow/sander did nothing on this road — but was observed plowing Old Williamstown Road instead. ▶ View Clip
Jan 17, 2026 5 in ⚠ 30-Ton Loader HD940A 30-ton construction loader deployed. Damage to signs and lawns. Video evidence confirms this equipment was not used on six comparable dirt roads that same day: Kessler, Roseberg, Silver St., Moppet, and others. ▶ View Clip
Jan 18, 2026 6 in Appropriate One small plow, two passes. Reasonable response. ▶ View Clip
Jan 26, 2026 16 in ⚠ Damage Grader + loader + 2 plows. Documented damage to trees, signs, security cameras, and fencing. Video on file. ▶ View Clip
Jan 28, 2026 0.5 in Excessive Half an inch of snow. One small plow, two passes dispatched. ▶ View Clip
Feb 9, 2026 2.5 in ⚠ Damage 2 small plows, 2 passes. Video shows plow blade making contact with private fence, resulting in documented damage. Footage available for review. ▶ View Clip
Feb 11, 2026 3 in ⚠ 30-Ton Loader 30-ton loader deployed for two full passes on three inches of light powder. ▶ View Clip
General Overview — Context Reference video: How many plows does it take to plow a single-lane dirt road? ▶ View Clip

03 Resource Waste Indicators

30T
Loader on a Dirt Lane
(2× documented)
5×
Max plow passes
for 2–3 in. snowfall
3+
Property damage
incidents on video
0
Comparable roads
that got the loader
Note on costs: A 30-ton construction loader costs significantly more per hour to operate and maintain than a standard plow truck. Deploying one for 3 inches of powder — on a road where a single small plow is documented to be sufficient — represents a clear misallocation of public funds. Specific hourly operating costs can be requested from the DPW under a public records request.

04 Questions for the Board

1
What is the written protocol for determining which equipment is dispatched to which road class and snowfall depth? Does one exist?
2
Why was a 30-ton HD940A construction loader used on this single-lane dirt road on Jan. 17 and Feb. 11 — when video evidence shows no comparable roads in town received this treatment?
3
Who is responsible for the documented property damage (trees, signs, security cameras, fencing, lawns), and has the town assessed liability?
4
On Feb. 9, video documents plow contact with a private fence resulting in damage. Has this incident been reported and investigated?
5
On Jan. 7, a plow/sander skipped this road and was instead observed on Old Williamstown Road. Who authorized that change in route, and was it logged?
6
Before voting on additional DPW funding, will the board commit to an independent review of equipment dispatch logs and per-route operating costs?