Mayor Dave Cieslewicz introduced Madison's newest Taxpayer Relief through Innovative Measures (TRIM) plan last month in an effort to save taxpayers $85,000 per year and to allow for the repair of potholes using significantly less labor.

George Twigg, Cieslewicz's communications director, said the TRIM program was originally designed to provide high-quality services to Madison residents while also saving money.

The new Roadpatcher system is operated by only one person, Twigg explained, and repairs potholes almost instantly using compressed air, bonding material and gravel.

"[The machines] cost about $150,000 apiece, but we are saving additional money in salary, benefits and materials," Madison Street Superintendent Al Schumacher said. "We think they are pretty impressive, and we hope to see more of these in the future."

Previously, Twigg said, the city used "cold mix" for repairs, which usually washed out and re-exposed potholes in the spring months.

Twigg also said another benefit to the new TRIM innovation is that the machines can be used in temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing problem areas to be fixed as quickly as possible. Repairs using the Roadpatcher system would also be more permanent than previous techniques, he added.

Schumacher said that once the city becomes fully efficient in its use of the machines, residents would begin to notice that previously repaired potholes would not redevelop later in the winter and spring months.

Even though the Roadpatcher system is highly innovative, Schumacher said that for now the city will continue to use the old cold mix for pothole repairs in addition to the new machine.

"We definitely hope to see less potholes, and we will evaluate the Roadpatchers in the next year," he added. "If we see the results we are expecting, we will ask for more machines."

In addition to the Roadpatcher system, other TRIM innovations include the automated recycling program and the sidewalk "shaving" program. Twigg said that even though it is getting more difficult to fund TRIM innovations, the city is looking to include a few more new systems in the budget.

"As the city grows, it gets more complicated and more important to find things like [the Roadpatcher system] that we can use," Twigg added. "We are looking at a few more innovations, as far as the city budget."