CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town officials are considering making Flaherty Road one way following requests from street residents. 

 

The road is a short narrow residential street that connects the start of Wells Road and the end of East Main Street. 

 

There are a total of five residents on the street and two have come forward with the request claiming that their neighbors all agree to the change, Corey McGrath, public works director, told the Select Board last week. 

 

The residents explained that a one-way street would make the area safer because the bridge on Windsor Road restricts visibility. 

 

The change would make the street a one-way heading towards Wells Road, McGrath said. 

 

He said he has not talked to all of the residents personally but wanted to start the process of considering it as long as there is an understanding that plowing the street would still be done both ways. 

 

"It is a bus route. When there's a car on it, it's a mess," McGrath said.  

 

The bus route arrives at Furnace Hill, cuts across Flaherty Road to Wells Road, then goes to the school, so the one way would not affect the bus route, he said, 

 

Prior to making any changes Town Administrator Jennifer Morse said they have to first hold a meeting where they speak to the other residents, or at the very least have them all speak to her. 

 

Select Board Vice Chair Shawn McGrath said that even if the town decides to make the change, there isn't a guarantee people will listen because of how short the street is. 

 

Corey McGrath also requested that the town consider paving Flaherty Road given its poor condition and since the town will already have the equipment in that area while working on the paving project on the bridge on Main St. 

 

He has not gotten a final cost on the paving of Flaherty Road; however the project for the bridge came in several $100,000 under what was expected, Morse said. 

 

In other news: 

 

• The bridge on Main has been reclaimed in its entirety, graded, compacted, and the calcium has been laid on it. 

 

• The town received seven applicants for its police chief position, two did not meet the minimum qualifications outlined in the jobs posting, and one candidate withdrew from the process, Morse said.

 

Following a comprehensive review of the remaining applicants, the four remaining selected to advance to the written essay phase, which evaluated each candidate's written communication skills and knowledge of police leadership, administration, and organizational management, and to the oral interviews.

 

The questions will include topics specific to the town of Cheshire, while also evaluating each candidate's understanding of modern policing leadership principles and law enforcement best practices, Morse said. 

 

Once these interviews are complete, two or three candidates will move on for a formal assessment center that will be completed during an open meeting — the final phase of the hiring process. 

 

The assessment will be done by a panel of experienced law enforcement subject matter experts using standardized evaluation processes, she said.  

 

The final stage will have a series of chief-level scenarios designed to evaluate each candidate's decision making, leadership, communication, and problem solving abilities.

 

Morse said the assessment center follows established professional guidelines and is designed to objectively measure the knowledge, skills, ability, and personal characteristics necessary to successfully serve as chief of police in Massachusetts and Cheshire.