Wayland selectmen weigh dropping more private roads from town plow list

WAYLAND -- October 2, 2017, Wayland selectmen defer action as DPW seeks to drop 13 more private roads from the plow list. The Board of Selectmen on Oct. 2 asked the Department of Public Works to return Oct. 16 with a written policy after the DPW chairman recommended removing roughly 13 to 14 short private ways, most with one or two homes, no through connection and no turnaround, citing operator safety and uniformity with seven roads already pulled two years ago. A peer survey showed only Weston plows all private ways without restriction. Separately, Finance Committee Chair Dave Watkins warned that the town's AAA Moody's rating is "at risk" against $37 million to $42 million in pending capital requests, estimating a one-notch downgrade could cost up to $500,000 over five years of typical borrowing. The board voted 5-0 to insert and support special town meeting articles including a $104,000 demolition of 107 Old Sudbury Road and a revised $35,655 current-year transfer.