NORWICH – A Guilford blueberry producer has asked the county’s highway department to reimburse him for $800 in labor costs and to replace dead plants he says he lost from too much sand placed in a culvert along the roadway adjacent to his crops.

Urbano D. Gonzalez of 1385 County Rt. 38 was on the agenda of a meeting of the Public Works Committee Sept. 20. He said the nearby culvert washed out during the floods last year, but was incorrectly repaired when the DPW dumped 20 inches of thick sand in to fill the void. The sand ended up covering his blueberries.

“Now the culvert cannot handle the water. I had to dig the ditch out,” he said. “I just want it put back the way it was before and reimburse me for my dead plants. I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable. I don’t think I am.”

Committee Chairman Harry Conley, R-Sherburne, said Gonzalez’ comments would be taken into consideration and someone from the committee would follow-up with him.