Overview:
Following the defeat of a Town Meeting article that would have made the town responsible for the maintenance of private roads, the Athol Selectboard has voted to establish a Private Roads Bylaw Review Committee to further address the issue.
ATHOL – Following the defeat of a Town Meeting article that would have made the town responsible for the maintenance of private roads, the Selectboard has voted to establish a Private Roads Bylaw Review Committee to further address the issue.
The proposed change to Chapter V, Section 33 of the bylaws called on the town to “minimally maintain all asphalt private roads” in Athol. The article specifically mentioned the repair of potholes with “asphalt-based materials,” as well as “repairs of road drainage issues,” including culverts.
The panel, which will have five voting members and two non-voting citizen members and three ex officio members, will be charged with developing a new bylaw that spells out the town’s responsibilities relative to the repair and maintenance of Athol’s three dozen private roads.
At the board’s meeting on June 16, Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said that Town Counsel John Barrett’s idea for the committee was based in part on similar efforts by the city of Fitchburg.
“But the gist of this request is to set up a working committee and maybe take town counsel’s draft and come up with something to present to the board, with an eye toward fall town meeting,” Suhoski said.
Suhoski listed the boards, committees, and town employees which he felt should be represented on the new committee.
“Finance, Capital Planning Committee, Selectboard, Planning Board, public works, town manager or town counsel,” he said. “If we appoint seven, a quorum would be four. We probably don’t want to get bigger than that; it would be very cumbersome. But something along those lines. I think we’d get good input from a variety of people.”
Barrett added that a member of the public would be a good addition to the committee. Once a plan is created, it could be presented to those residents of the private roads. He also suggested asking someone who had signed the petition to get the private roads maintenance issue placed on the warrant for the recent ATM to be part of the committee.
“I think it might be good to have a working committee, and I would suggest starting with the draft bylaw I had drawn up,” he said. “Pick that apart, find out in which way that could be adapted – or throw it out and start all over again.”
Board member Mitch Grosky said it might be a good idea to have a member of the public appointed to the committee who isn’t a resident of a private way, a suggestion that Vice Chair Marc Maxwell agreed with. He added that residents who live on a public road and a private way both deserved representation on the committee.
“We may end up spending public money to fix private roads,” Maxwell said. “I think both sides should be represented.”
The Selectboard voted to create a committee of five voting members made up of one representative each from the Capital Program Committee, Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee, Planning Board and two from the Selectboard.
There will also be two non-voting associate members, one resident who lives on a private road and another who resides on a public way. Ex officio members include Suhoski, Barrett, and a representative of the Public Works Department.
Maxwell and Raymondwere chosen to represent the Selectboard on the new committee. Municipal representatives will be chosen in the weeks ahead, and Suhoski will begin the search for members of the public to serve as associates. Anyone interested should email ssuhoski@townofathol.org or barmentrout@townofathol.org.