Police raise detail rate to $70; town discusses truck traffic, speed limits and window-tint enforcement

Police Chief Doty told the Select Board Aug. 18 that the town will raise its hourly police detail rate from $60 to $70 to remain competitive with neighboring towns. Doty described the change as operational and said administrative fees will not change. Doty also reported complaints about heavy trucks on Mill Road tied to the Edgewater construction project. He said the town worked with the project’s builder and contractors to divert trucks away from the nearby bridge, and that a state police trooper conducted monitoring. Town highway staff inspected the bridge and reported no visible structural damage; the police chief and town staff recommended additional signage closer to the Middle Road intersection to warn drivers of the bridge weight restriction and deter tractor‑trailer approaches. State Representative Melissa Litchfield commented during public input that she is working on legislation at the State House related to lowering speeds on Route 125 near North Road and Middle Road and that previous traffic studies by the Department of Transportation had not justified lowering the posted speed. She asked the board to advise whether it supports lowering speed limits in specific intersections; representative Litchfield said she can file legislation if the board provides direction. Board members and staff also discussed window-tint enforcement after a constituent inquiry. A police sergeant present noted the town’s tint meter standard (34% for front windows, restrictions six inches down from the windshield) and said that without routine vehicle inspections enforcement will rely on on-scene police encounters. No formal votes beyond the detail-rate announcement and operational instructions to staff were recorded on DOT speed requests or tint enforcement during the meeting.