WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board last week discussed a policy to guide decisions on whether to accept private ways for snow plowing by town personnel.

 

Actually, the town has an existing policy, and the Department of Public Works currently plows 10 private roads under that policy, which was enacted by the board in late 1980s.

 

"The document could be out there somewhere, but we can't find it," DPW Director Craig Clough told the board. "We found reference to it in the minutes [of meetings] and stuff like that, but there is no definitive, 'Here's your guideline.'

 

"It was time to create it."

 

The topic came to the fore in light of a request from the residents of the Sweet Farm Road subdivision off Henderson Road that the town accept their street as a public way.

 

That question, which the residents had hoped to bring to last May's annual town meeting, was put off until the May 2025 meeting at the earliest. In the meantime, the town discussed with the residents the possibility of the town assuming "winter maintenance" duties only until the full acceptance question is settled.

 

Among the private roads the town currently plows each winter are Danforth, Bryant and Porter Streets off Belden Street on the east side of town, Bingham Street off Main Street and Walnut Street off North Hoosac Road, to name a few.