WEBSTER, Mass.—A Massachusetts town is ending a longtime tradition of plowing and salting church parking lots after snow storms.
Webster's Board of Selectmen voted this week to stop clearing the parking lots of five churches because of liability concerns and budget constraints.
Highway Superintendent Kenneth Pizzetti told selectmen they had to look at the "commonsense liability" facing the town. He says if someone slips and hurts themselves, the town would be liable, not the church.
Department of Public Works Director J. T. Gaucher estimated last winter it cost $15,000 between labor and materials to clear the parking lots.
The Rev. Luke Veronis at Saints Constantine & Helen Church tells The Telegram & Gazette (http://bit.ly/nvqGak ) he is grateful for what the town has done but understands the reasoning behind the decision.
