BROOKFIELD TOWN — Residents and Selectboard members discussed traffic speeds, paving and enforcement on Moose Mountain Road during public comment and board discussion, and the board agreed to research legal authority and ask Wakefield police for increased patrols.

Resident Tim Strassel, who identified himself at the meeting as living at 128 Moose Mountain Road, said the road has heavy pedestrian use, commercial vehicles serving the gravel pit and ski area, and recent logging traffic. “It’s a widely used pedestrian road, and there’s a lot of commercial traffic on that road,” Strassel said, asking the board to consider lowering the posted limit from 35 to 30 miles per hour and to pursue enforcement.

Context: Board members explained that current town practice posts paved roads at 35 mph and dirt roads at 25 mph, and that changes to posted limits can involve state guidance. One board member said, “From my understanding, you can have the town create an ordinance ... But that doesn’t — I think that’s in the bulk of the automobile” (discussion as transcribed), and the group agreed to research how much latitude the town has to set a lower limit.

Board direction and enforcement: A board member said they would talk to the Wakefield Police chief to request increased enforcement presence on Brookfield roads and to ask for a report on the number and location of recent speeding tickets. The board asked for follow-up on whether patrols or targeted enforcement have affected speeding complaints and asked staff to check the legal steps needed to lower a posted speed.

Paving schedule: Separately, a town official confirmed that the section of Moose Mountain Road between Austin’s house and the bridge is scheduled to be reclaimed and paved; the contractor’s equipment is staged and the paving was delayed earlier in the season by rain, but paving remains planned for the current year. Board members said paving may widen the road by about a foot because available paving equipment typically cannot place an 18-foot paved width easily.

Community suggestions: Residents and board members suggested additional steps to reduce speeds, including siting temporary radar signs and asking organizations that advertise trail or recreation access to include a note about local speed limits in their materials. The board also discussed asking Stratford Regional Planning to deploy a vehicle counter to provide data on daily traffic volume and truck classifications.

Ending: The Selectboard agreed to research legal authority for lower speed limits, to ask a member to contact the Wakefield Police chief about stepped-up patrols and reporting, and to revisit the issue after collecting data and legal guidance.