Neglected Assets
Why is Sherman’s Premier Walking Track Still Buried?
Sherman is defined by its outdoor spaces. For many residents, the municipal park and its walking track serve as the daily heartbeat of the town—a safe, accessible place for seniors to exercise, parents to walk strollers, and neighbors to connect. It is one of our number one community assets.
Or at least, it is supposed to be.
A Week after the last major winter snowstorm, the track remains entirely unplowed, buried under a layer of packed snow and ice, completely unusable for the taxpayers who fund it.
To be absolutely clear: this is not a failure of Sherman’s Department of Public Works. Our DPW crews work grueling hours in freezing conditions to keep our primary roads clear and our town safe. They do the heavy lifting. But a town’s DPW can only execute the priorities, directives, and budgets set by the First Selectman’s office.
The guys in the trucks don't write the work orders. The administration does.
7 Days after the snow stopped falling, the community walking track is still a sheet of ice and packed snow. Sherman’s Department of Public Works works tirelessly on our primary roads, and the taxpayers of this town proudly support them. In fact, in recent budget cycles, the town fully funded the DPW's requests for increased road maintenance and overtime pay.
This means Town Hall cannot blame a lack of funding or manpower. The taxpayers provided the budget. The DPW has the crews. The only thing missing is a First Selectman willing to authorize the work order and prioritize our public spaces.
It takes a remarkable level of audacity for an administration to ask taxpayers for millions of dollars to fix their past neglect, while simultaneously letting a fully funded, paved walking track sit buried across the street. It is the exact same apathy, just on a smaller scale.
We pay for functional public spaces. The overtime budget is there. It is time for Town Hall to issue the directive and clear the track.
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