Farmington volunteers apply gravel to streets

An estimated 30 truck loads of gravel were spread Nov. 2 on streets in the north section of Farmington. The project involved approximately half of the $8,000 worth of gravel Farmington purchased from the county earlier this fall. The project is now on hold until spring weather.

The project aims to cover all unpaved Farmington roads with several layers of gravel.

“The intention is the entire town,” said Mayor James Woomack.

The spreading is being done by volunteers, including city councilmen Dave Baker and Joel Abbot along with former mayor Royce Johnson.

“Everything in this town is volunteer,” Woomack noted.

Soon after the Nov. 2 work, weather shifted causing the need to wait for spring to resume.

“We started getting rain so late that it almost immediately started freezing,” Woomack said.

What’s been applied so far is a base layer.

“This is a multi-year project,” Woomack said, noting that availability of city funds will play a role. The base is followed by more layers over the next four to five years.

“Then we’ll have a good solid road,” Woomack said. “For a lot of the roads, they’re nothing but basically mud.”

Volunteers used the town’s dump truck and tractor. Farmington’s paved roads include Third Street, Washington Street and part of Main Street.

Woomack said other items such as streetlights are paid for out of levy funds. Farmington residents passed a $9,000 street maintenance levy on Nov. 4.

The city of Farmington has three paid employees, the clerk, the water system operator and a maintenance worker.