CHARLTON, Mass. — Building Commissioner Kurt Meskis presented a draft street-address numbering policy to the Board of Selectmen on Feb. 11 and asked the board to review the proposal before a potential vote at the Feb. 25 meeting.

Meskis said the draft codifies longstanding local practices used to assign house numbers and addresses and ensures the town complies with assessing and 9-1-1 reporting requirements. "We are not proposing to change anybody's street name at this time. We're not proposing to run around the town and change people's house numbers," Meskis said, adding the intent is a consistent front-to-back approach for new assignments and to reduce confusing sound-alike names.

He said the draft grew from work with department heads, including the highway, police and fire departments, and the assessing office. Meskis said the policy will help clarify which side of the street receives odd or even numbers, address procedures for short drives and duplicate-sounding road names, and provide a reference for planners and permitting staff.

Selectmen praised the draft as a useful step to prepare for expected growth and said the text needs only minor editorial fixes before the board reviews it for possible adoption on Feb. 25.