A Few Minutes With: Kelly Smith Newaygo County Road Commission

Let me start by saying, I really do not care that the calendar says it’s the middle of December , it is winter outside. The thermometer says -3 degrees and we are working clearing 6”-8” of fresh snowfall and if that isn’t winter, well I don’t know what is.
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After a very busy summer construction season we are now in full on winter mode, sanders are in, side wings are mounted and salt bins are full. That means instead of you waiting in line at one of our constructions zones, or driving around a detour , you will be stuck behind us while we are scraping and sanding the roadways. And before you ask,  No, we cannot just pull over every time a car gets behind us and let you by.  It is already a struggle for us to accomplish enough in a given time frame to keep up with customer demand.  And  yes, we get asked that a lot, I mean really, a lot. We do our best to keep you moving, and I say that while keeping in mind that it must be at a reasonable expense to you , after all  you are the paying customer.

And just like in our personal budgets we must live within our means, and reasonable expense equals reasonable level of expectation.  I do believe sometimes that part of the equation is forgotten, but it is a reality we are faced with on a daily basis and we must work through. I think it would be fair to say that we all have very busy schedules and sometimes taking an extra few minutes to slow down due to less than summer like road conditions, just may not seem feasible. But we would rather see you arrive late, than not at all.
Road conditions can change several times during the course of your travels, and it can happen quickly, so please be careful. We have no doubt that Michigan drivers are the best in the country when it comes to winter time driving skills, we just ask that you refrain from trying prove it by setting a new land speed record in January.

On the “What are we doing to make things better” front, the road commission itself is in a constant state of self evaluation in a never ending effort to provide service to our customers, and one of the more recent changes included a re-organization of staff.  At this time I would like to introduce the Assistant Manager of The Newaygo County Road Commission Derek Wawsczyk (yes, that’s really how you spell his name). 
Derek has been with the road commission since 2007 in various roles until his acceptance of this position. Derek’s main focus will be overseeing daily operations as well as customer service and public relations.  Derek, myself and the rest of the staff are working with the Board of Road Commissioners to take the organization to the next level in both customer relations and quality of service. So please, if you have questions or concerns pass them along to Derek and the staff, watch for future updates, and follow us on Facebook. We are here to provide a reasonably safe and efficient road system as possible to you, our customers.

In closing, it is The Holiday Season so please be kind to one another, please keep those less fortunate in your thoughts and be careful in your travels.  
Merry  Christmas and Happy New Year
Kelly

Derek Wawsczyk, Assistant Manager of the Newaygo County Road Commissin