SARANAC LAKE — To keep his job this year, Harrietstown Highway Superintendent Craig Donaldson, running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, is facing an election challenge by relative newcomer Jacob Vennie-Vollrath, running as a Democratic and Common Sense party candidate.

The Enterprise asked both men the same questions. Answers have been edited for length.

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Jacob Vennie-Vollrath

1. How long have you lived in the area?

We have lived here for four years.

2. What inspired you to run for office?

Over the past few years I have noticed that many local offices were running unopposed. We can always improve things, and having contested races on every level of government allows the incumbents to show the public what they have accomplished and allows challengers a chance to bring new ideas to the table. I also have a passion for our roads here in Harrietstown.

3. What skills or experience do you have that make you the best candidate for this office?

The most important job of the highway department superintendent is managing the budget, managing employees, and keeping residents and visitors safe through meticulous maintenance of our town’s roads and bridges. Growing up farming in the Midwest provided me with a variety of practical “hard skills” and experiences that will no doubt be useful in maintaining our town’s highways and bridges. But I also bring to the table a number of soft skills that I have developed in my career serving communities from southern Africa to rural Wisconsin as well as managing 50 state and federal grants, multi-state programs/initiatives, and large budgets for non-profits in the state of Wisconsin as well as here in the North Country.

If elected I would … work with the town council to hold public hearings during the highway department budgeting process and develop a committee of concerned citizens, department employees and town council members who are equally as passionate about our roads. This committee would help guide the highway department through a one-, five-, 20-, and 50-year strategic planning process.

4. What are some of the challenges the highway department is facing?

Overall, when talking to folks in Harrietstown they have been mostly happy with the services of the highway department. [One] challenge is modernizing our asset management and communications with the public. I am a huge advocate of data-driven decision making, open data, and engaging the public in solving problems. There are the immediate challenges that every highway department is facing on a day-to-day basis including our own: winter weather, managing and maintaining equipment/assets, and providing top-notch services to all community members and property owners.

In addition, there are the immediate and coming challenges of climate change. We need to begin better adapting our bridges, culverts, and roads for [weather] changes to avoid expensive repairs or washouts down the road.

5. How do you envision the highway department’s relationship with the town board?

I would move to encourage the town council (and the public through public hearings and surveys) to take a deeper look at the details of the Department’s expenditures and budget and think creatively on how we can increase efficiencies, save money, generate alternative revenues and improve services.

6. What can be done to mitigate the use of salt on the highways?

Prior to 1980 the state did not use pure road salt. We must work with the state Department of Transportation to continue to expand the pilot projects for testing alternatives to pure road salt. The town will continue to use a sand salt mixture and work closely with researchers at Paul Smiths College to employ positive alternatives. Harrietstown should have a long term plan to retrofit our vehicles, obtain the equipment necessary, and get ahead of the curve.

7. If elected, what are you hoping to achieve during the next two years?

Over the next two years I will have the following priorities:

1. Transparency [in decision making, budgeting, contracts, and expenditures]

2. Long term strategic planning, asset planning, and modernizing data collection to assist in decision making.

3. Modernizing data collection and tracking of infrastructure, modernize ability of public to quickly report issues [collect and use data to inform decision making – provide online option for quickly reporting an issue with a road or issue].

4. Accessibility and public participation

5. Address the impacts of road salt on our infrastructure and on public health.

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Craig Donaldson

1. How long have you lived here?

All my life. I started my 36th year at the highway department, my 31st as highway superintendent. I began June 1982. Before that I worked for my father and at another construction company in Lake Clear. He taught me everything I know. He taught me to drive truck when I was 12 years old.

2. What inspired you to run for office?

When I got hired for the town I was the last guy who wanted to run for superintendent. Archie [Strack ]won it and he was two years with it, and he asked me to be his deputy. I refused it because I didn’t want to cause bad feelings with the guys [who had been there longer] and he said, “It’s my call, it’s my appointment. I will handle whatever comes.” Then in March he turned in his papers. I was 30 at the time. I won the primary, and then the election. He said, “Craig if you do your job and people know you’re doing your job, that’s all you can ask.”

I like to think I’ve done a good job. We’ve rebuilt every town road we’ve had; we’re still going around doing that. Every time we take on a new project, we upgrade it. Federal law changed in 2015 to say states were supposed to update road signs for reflectivity. The state didn’t do it, but we did. We try to do the best job we can.

My opponent mentions equipment replacement. We’ve had that [an equipment replacement schedule] ever since I’ve been highway superintendent.

3. What skills or experience do you have that make you the best candidate for this office?

This is the most thankless job I’ve ever had. People don’t see you doing it because you’re up and plowing the roads at 4 a.m. while they’re sleeping. I have a CDL license, so I’m the only one certified to move [some of our equipment]. I moved from a pickup truck to a big truck so I can get more done. There’s a lot more than people see. Not only are you running equipment but you’re keeping up with personnel and the budget. Our budget has doubled from where we started 30 years ago.

4. What are some of the challenges the highway department is facing?

When I started, we had eight people. Now we have five. If somebody gets sick at the highway department, we’re up a crick. I’ve got a darn good crew, but we can’t get sick.

5. How do you envision the highway department’s relationship with the town board?

It’s excellent. I submit reports to the town board every month. I would like to think the majority of people are satisfied with what I’ve done. You’re married to the job. Whether it’s a tree down in the middle of the night or whatever it may be, you’ve got to get there.

6. What can be done to mitigate the use of salt on the highways?

We use 8 or 9 percent salt in our sand pile to keep it from freezing. If it freezes you’ve got these big chunks that can damage the equipment, the guys can get hurt breaking them up. It’s dangerous not to have salt, but that’s why it’s in there. We could never afford too much salt; we’d be broke.

7. If elected, what are you hoping to achieve during the next two years?

I’ve got a number of projects that I hope to keep doing. Every year I give the town board a budget for paving; the town budget approves the plan and you’ve got to make it work. My plan is just to continue upgrading roads and continue serving the public the best I can.

I do the best job I possibly can. I think my record speaks for itself.