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Selectmen consider online sign-up and waiver to redistribute roadside wood instead of dumping
Summary
Board discussed a proposal to publish an online signup so residents can receive tree and brush piles the highway department now hauls to the town pit; the program would require a waiver and on-site acceptance to limit town liability.
The North Brookfield Board of Selectmen discussed a pilot idea to make better use of roadside tree and brush piles by posting a sign-up form on the town website to let residents volunteer to receive wood deliveries rather than the highway department hauling material to the town pit.
Under the concept discussed, the highway department would check a website list when crews are collecting roadside cuttings and, where a resident has signed up, deliver the piled wood to that resident's property near the road. Board members said delivery would be limited to the truck length at the roadside, would require the recipient to be present, and would require a signed waiver relieving the town of liability for property damage or claims.
Selectmen said the plan aims to avoid wasted wood rotting in long piles at the town pit on Kittredge Road and to shorten highway crews' hauling times. They discussed practical details such as whether to designate hardwood versus softwood on the website, first-come/first-served fairness, recordkeeping for deliveries, and the need to prevent highway crews from backing into yards or otherwise entering private property.
Board members asked staff to draft a liability waiver and a basic administrative process for online sign-ups and to return with a proposal. No vote was taken; the board called the idea a work in progress and requested more details on operations and recordkeeping.
