Cobleskill Looks at New Truck

By Joshua Walther

COBLESKILL - On Monday night, the Cobleskill Town Board convened to discuss switching to a new truck manufacturer, as well as offering praise for Supervisor Don Airey of Blenheim.

During the highway report, the Board asked Highway Superintendent Timothy Gallagher for an update on their snow plow order.

Mr. Gallagher said that while they still have the money for the big truck, their previous manufacturer that serves Schoharie County, Western Star, no longer makes an all-wheel drive because they can’t get the front-ends.

To remedy this, the Town will need a Freightliner truck instead, which is around the same price due to having the vast majority of parts stay the same except for the cab.

Mr. Gallagher also noted that the truck will likely come in in late 2026 when it was ordered in 2021, meaning that the Town is looking at a five year wait between orders.

He recommended that since Cobleskill almost has enough saved up for the next truck, they should place their order as soon as this one is delivered to cut down on wait times as much as they can.

Once the truck was explained, Mr. Gallagher also noted how severe the constant snowfall this winter season has been and thanked the Village’s joint aid, saying “I really appreciate the Village guys stepping up and helping out, they’ve done a lot with us.”

Before the meeting concluded, Supervisor Werner Hampel quickly enlightened the rest of the Board on the status of the county’s constitutional challenge, noting that they won but the state would likely appeal the decision.

He also gave special thanks to Supervisor Airey, who had championed the push. “Had it not been for him and his attention to detail, we would not be where we are now. He’s a special individual and he did a heck of a job.”