Official: Hanover’s Infrastructure at Risk Amid Budget Constraints

Hanover’s roads, sidewalks, and public buildings are showing signs of wear, and without increased funding, the situation may soon reach a crisis point. During the January 29 meeting of the Hanover Advisory Committee, Director of Public Works Victor Diniak warned that the town is on a slow but steady path toward infrastructure deterioration, with deferred maintenance and limited resources putting essential services at risk.

The Advisory Committee consists of nine registered voters of the town, appointed by the Town Moderator. Committee members serve a three-year term that ends on July 15th or until a successor is appointed. No person holding an elective office in the town is eligible to serve on this committee.

The Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing all articles contained in each of the Annual and Special Town Meeting Warrants. The committee’s recommendations for the actions to be taken on each of these articles are presented both verbally and in written form at each of the Town Meetings.

The Advisory Committee is also responsible for making recommendations regarding the annual estimates and expenditures as prepared by the Town Accountant. These recommendations are included in the Town Meeting Warrant and the town’s Omnibus Budget.

In addition, the Committee submits an annual report in printed form with its recommendations relative to the financial affairs of the town.

“We are putting out fires instead of getting ahead,” Diniak told committee members. “Some years we do good, some years we have trouble.”

As town officials begin the difficult task of allocating scarce resources, Hanover’s infrastructure problems are becoming more pronounced. The Department of Public Works (DPW) has been operating on what Diniak described as a “barely above water” budget, meaning that while immediate issues can be patched, long-term sustainability is in doubt. The town’s roads, in particular, are suffering from years of underfunding.

The Road Maintenance Crisis

The town of Hanover owns 88 miles of road, but its annual road maintenance budget is only sufficient to fully reconstruct less than one mile per year. With road lifespans averaging about 20 years, this pace is unsustainable.

“The math just doesn’t work unless you’re doing multiple miles a year,” Diniak explained. “And it’s not just me saying this. My mom told me that Herb Simmons back in the early seventies was telling the same town the same thing.”

The town’s last major investment in roadwork came from a bond in 2009. Since then, Hanover has relied primarily on Chapter 90 state funding, supplemented by small annual appropriations. While these funds help, they are not enough to keep pace with the natural wear and tear of roads, let alone address the more significant structural failures beginning to emerge.

“The slow deterioration—you’re going to hit a point where you bottom out, and now the roads are starting to open up, and they’re going to be major reconstruction,” Diniak said.

Residents may not yet see potholes on every street, but the warning signs are already there. Cracks in pavement, failing curbs, and erosion along road edges are all indications that roads are aging beyond their maintenance window. Diniak also warned that the town lacks adequate funding for sidewalk repairs, curbing, and guardrails.

“If you don’t maintain the investment, it degrades over time,” Diniak said. “It still looks pretty well. You drive around some other towns, and you’ll see the road networks are not quite as good as Hanover. But it doesn’t take much for your infrastructure to get to that point.”

Public Buildings Facing Similar Challenges

It’s not just roads that are at risk. Hanover’s public buildings—including schools, libraries, and municipal facilities—are also suffering from a backlog of maintenance needs. Diniak pointed to the middle school and high school as examples where custodial staff and maintenance crews are struggling to keep up with demand.

“We would love to see more custodians at the middle school and the high school,” Diniak said. “Both of them are very busy buildings. It’s hard to keep them clean, and when you have someone who’s out, it really shows.”

The town’s facility maintenance budget has remained largely flat, despite increasing costs for materials and labor. When major equipment failures occur—such as a $60,000 hot water heater replacement at the high school or a costly septic system repair at the middle school—funds must be reallocated from other projects, further delaying routine maintenance.

Diniak also highlighted the challenges of keeping public spaces in good condition with a shrinking workforce. Seasonal groundskeeping staff, which used to help maintain fields, cemeteries, and municipal properties, has been significantly reduced.

“When you hear people complain, ‘Oh, the town doesn’t look quite right,’ well, this is the reason it doesn’t look quite right,” Diniak said. “Given a choice of saving a police officer’s job or saving a summer kid’s job, we’ll put the police officer every day.”

The Cost of Inaction

Deferred maintenance doesn’t just lead to minor inconveniences—it can create exponentially larger costs down the road. The DPW has attempted to mitigate damage through short-term fixes, such as crack sealing, but this only buys limited time before full reconstruction is needed.

“We’re trying to keep the roads as tight as possible, using some crack sealing,” Diniak said. “But eventually, the cracking spreads, and those roads will need full-depth reclamation.”

Similarly, reducing custodial staff means buildings degrade faster, leading to more expensive repairs in the long run. HVAC systems, electrical components, and plumbing infrastructure all require regular attention to avoid catastrophic failures.

What’s Next?

Diniak and other town officials stressed the need for a long-term strategic plan to address infrastructure shortfalls. While funding constraints make it difficult to allocate more resources, planning for future investments will be crucial.

“This is really the effect of years of underfunding,” Diniak concluded. “And unless the public’s willing to pay more through overrides, that’s the mechanism, then we’ve got a problem.”