Residents on private roads may have to request their road be plowed when the winter of 2017 rolls around.

Dave Menard of Municipal Maintenance presented the Board of Selectmen with a proposed winter maintenance policy.

One guideline states that a majority of residents on private roads must sign a request to have their road plowed.

Menard's concerns stem from the damage done to Municipal Maintenance trucks while attempting to plow roads in unfavorable conditions. By asking residents to submit a request along with the conditions of their road, Municipal Maintenance hopes to save some of the expensive tools on their trucks from damage.

Selectman Patrick Tropeano took a firm stance against the proposal, claiming that tax paying citizens should receive such a service from the town, regardless of whether the road is private or public. He was also concerned about emergency services not reaching residents on unplowed private roads.

Tropeano was the only one to vote against the motion to accept the policy for now, with further discussions to come.

The policy wouldn't take effect until fiscal year 2018, which begins July 1, 2017, allowing private residents time to collect signatures or make other arrangements.