A Barrie resident asked the City Council on Sept. 9 to explain why the city will no longer plow seven narrow roadways after a recent notice from public works. Sarah Hellman told council members she discovered the streets are privately owned after speaking with city staff and the League of Cities and Towns. “I personally didn't know that this road was private when I purchased the property,” Hellman said.

City Manager (name not specified) told the council the city has received guidance that it should not maintain private streets and that continuing to plow them creates both an improper use of public funds and insurance exposure. The manager said city maps and parcel lines show the properties subsume the roadways and that town counsel and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) were consulted. “The city doesn't plow my driveway,” the manager said, describing the change as bringing the city “back into compliance.”

Why it matters: the streets named in the public comment — Mill Street, Aiken Street, Fortney Place, Thurston Place, Kinney Place, Scampini Square, School Street and Garcia Lane — are narrow, in many places resembling driveways, and may be inaccessible to large plows or some emergency vehicles, councilors and staff said. Councillor Dearing asked whether ambulances and fire apparatus could safely pass; staff said some vehicles may not fit and that the fire chief will be consulted about safe access and alternative vehicle deployment.

City staff estimated a rough, back-of-the-envelope cost to rebuild and widen the named streets to municipal standards at more than $440,000, a figure that excludes surveying and legal costs. The manager said the city has heard from peer towns that most do not maintain private streets; one town reportedly maintains a private street only after charging residents and obtaining indemnification.

Options discussed at the meeting included:
- Pursuing formal acceptance into the public system (which would require owners to bring streets up to municipal standards and would commit public funds thereafter);
- Property owners paying to upgrade streets to city standards and then seeking acceptance;
- Resident “opt-in” arrangements in which property owners contract with the city for snow removal under indemnification agreements; and
- Use of easements or limited maintenance by city facilities staff for specific public-safety access such as a turnaround on Fortney Place.

Manager follow-up: staff said they will validate land-records data, continue working with VLCT for formal guidance, consult the fire chief about emergency access and return to the council with a dedicated agenda item and direct communications to affected residents. The manager also said staff will investigate possible grant or state funding to help property owners bring roads up to municipal standards.

What was not decided: the council did not vote to change policy at the meeting and did not adopt any ordinance. Council members said they wanted staff to confirm the land-records research before notifying residents that routine winter maintenance will stop.

The city asked residents on the affected streets to expect a future agenda item and to contact the city manager for follow-up. A public record of how many parcels and the final legal determination will be provided after staff review, the manager said.

Ending: Staff said they will return with more formal documentation and options, and the manager agreed to follow up individually with Sarah Hellman about the turnaround area on Fortney Place.