A local business owner has written to township council about the state of local roads.

Steve Dawson, a township resident and the owner of haulage business, sent a highly critical letter to the works committee that is set to be discussed at Monday’s (June 5) meeting.

“As I’m sure you are well aware, infrastructure is a means to an end. It supports our quality of life and our local economy in Brock. That said, services such as roads and bridges must be maintained to be effective both from an operational standpoint and from a cost effective standpoint. If basic infrastructure is not maintained, services decline turning minor repairs into major ones and at a much greater expense to the municipality,” he wrote.

“The saying ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ applies. The cost of the repair work will be higher than if the maintenance had been undertaken in time. In addition, the infrastructure may need to be replaced well before the end of its originally intended life. The municipality, in effect, (will be) paying twice for the construction of the same infrastructure. Maintenance of our urban and rural streets and roads – shoulders, ditching and brushing – needs to be done on an annual basis, year after year, and is crucial to protecting our investment as taxpayers.”

While acknowledging the Township’s budget is limited, Dawson said that road maintenance should be viewed as the top priority.

“I fully understand, the Township has many challenges regarding infrastructure, roads in particular. As a local business owner that has specialized in construction and road maintenance for most of my life, I am aware of the requirement and importance of regularly scheduled maintenance and the effect it has…when it is promoted or neglected. Brock has been neglecting, in my opinion, for far too long the basic maintenance of our roads. The need is definitely there but the work is not getting done. One need only take a short drive through the township to verify the concerns I am bringing forward…Taxpayers can no longer afford the luxury of short term annual savings at the expense of higher long term costs.”