Frustrated Billerica selectman paints crosswalks

A town selectman is facing criticism, including calls for his resignation, and a possible felony charge after he painted four crosswalks in the town center.

George Simolaris, a painter by trade and an advocate for pedestrian safety, used green deck paint on five crosswalks in the town center this weekend.

“I’m tired of telling people it’s going to be done and it makes me look like a liar”, he said.

“He can’t, even an individual, never mind a selectman, decide on their own, go out and deface public property because of their own wishes”, Curran said.

Do you think a Billerica town selectman should be forced to resign after painting some crosswalks?

Simolaris says he expects to be arrested.

He said he will not resign because he tried to do the right thing.

On Sunday, however, Department of Public Words crews began power washing the crosswalks.

The town is in the middle of a safety project in the middle of the downtown area, and Curran said crosswalks would have been repainted within the next six weeks.

Simolaris will have to pay for the overtime detail for the cleanup.

“I don’t have any record and I want to keep it that way”.

They were due to be painted in May, Simolaris told the station.

There is a Billerica Board of Selectmen meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. The crosswalks issue is not on the agenda but the town manager says it could be added or discussed under “Unforeseen Issues”.