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Peter Orsi urges long-term master plan to fix roads, manage town equipment
Summary
At a North Brookfield candidate forum, Board of Selectmen hopeful Peter Orsi said roads are the most visible problem but urged a broader, long-term asset-management approach: predictable replacement cycles for cruisers and trucks, employee retention, and proactive budgeting.
At a candidate forum moderated by Sheila Orsi, Peter Orsi, who is running for the Board of Selectmen in North Brookfield, said the town’s most visible problem is roads but framed the deeper issue as long-term asset management.
Orsi said he has been active in local coaching and volunteer service and now has time to serve on the select board. "I'd be foolish if I didn't say roads," he said, but added that the town needs to "pull the microscope back" and prioritize maintaining equipment, retaining employees and investing in long-term planning rather than reactionary spending.
Orsi explained the practical application of that approach with the example of police cruisers: "Say it lasts 10 years. We know that police cruisers should last 10 years. I think we need to develop a master plan where it's a living document," he said, describing a plan that would set predictable replacement timelines and spending so new officials inherit a multi‑year schedule rather than making one‑off purchases.
He also emphasized workforce and training: "having employee retention, giving them the right training, supporting them so they can be the best employees they can be," he said, adding that planned maintenance will lengthen equipment life and reduce long-term costs.
On grant timelines, Orsi noted long delays for some projects: he said his wife spent seven years working on a grant for sidewalks, underscoring that grants and multi-jurisdictional work can take many years to produce results.
When asked about school sustainability during a brief audience Q&A, Orsi said he had begun reaching out to school committee members to gather information and pledged, if elected, to get more involved: "If elected, I will get more involved in the school part," he said, acknowledging he is not yet fully up to date on all proposals.
The forum closed with a reminder that the town election is Monday, May 4, and Orsi asked for voters’ support. The event did not include any formal endorsements or votes.
