Shutesbury Select Board upholds 2008 plowing policy, orders expanded Birch Drive assessment

Select Board · Meeting of July 29, 2026

Shutesbury Select Board holds joint session with Council on Aging over disputed Birch Drive plowing stoppage. The board met July 29 with the Council on Aging to address a months-long dispute after the town halted plowing past the first knoll of Birch Drive, a private road in the Lake Wyola area, in December 2025, cutting off at least one senior resident without notice. Town Administrator Haley said the 2008 private road plowing policy sets the knoll as a terminal point and that prior contractors had exceeded that limit without the town's knowledge, while Highway Superintendent Dave Grenier cited turnaround limitations and escalating liability costs for private road plowing.

Council on Aging representative Mary Jo Johnson said the February site assessment was flawed, that road width was measured from snowbanks rather than the actual road edge, and that the inability to turn around at the bottom of the road "was never mentioned" during the assessment itself. The board reached informal consensus to adhere to the current policy while Grenier completes an August assessment report that will include an addendum specifically addressing the disputed Birch Drive segment. No formal vote was taken.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,346 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.