PITTSFIELD – Pittsfield councilors proved two things Tuesday night: the squeaky wheel gets the grease and history counts.

During a public hearing on changes to more than two dozen names of Pittsfield streets and roads, a handful of people opposed the new names for their roads and the council agreed with them, but only after criticism was leveled at the practice of changing names that residents have become accustomed to.

Robert Hubbard of Grove Hill, which will now become North Main Street, said the changes “smack to me of idiot-proofing. The changes range from the sensible to the downright silly.”

Michael Havey, a member of the E-911 Numbering Committee, explained that the renaming and numbering project is to create an efficient, consistent system so that emergency responders can find their way. He said an incident occurred just that day at 2 a.m. when an ambulance could not locate Dixmont Avenue, a dead end off Orchard Street.

“With the system we have now, we can’t find you,” Havey said.

Summer Street, proposed to become Winter Street, will keep its name, the council voted, after four residents objected. Higgins Road, which has the town’s two oldest farms and Higgins Cemetery on it, will also keep its name after resident Dan Higgins appealed to the council’s sense of history.

Some of the approved changes include Park Street to Somerset Avenue, Wright Street to Chester Street, Pine and Fifth streets to Lincoln Street, and Pleasant Street to Library Street.

The process to rename the roads is part of the town’s ongoing E-911 street numbering program. Pittsfield is the largest and one of only five Somerset County towns that have not completed E-911 numbering.

The remaining proposed changes were approved.

“This will mean a lot of changes in the beginning,” Havey said. “But in the end, this will be much more efficient and consistent.”

Vicki Braley, Pittsfield’s administrative assistant, told the council that the process should be completed by Jan. 1.

The Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems has provided maps to the town that will be used once the numbering and naming is complete. The maps will then be forwarded to the post office for approval. This process will take 45 to 60 days to complete. Once the addresses are complete, residents will receive a letter with their new address and number.

The council is still trying to decide if residents will be required to purchase town-offered reflective numbers for their homes or if they will be provided to each residence.