During the November 19 selectmen’s meeting, First Selectman Daniel Rosenthal briefly took the State Department of Transportation to task for its handling of plowing — or lack of it — on state roads during the early season snowstorm on November 15.

“Newtown guys did a great job,” the first selectman said of Newtown Highway Department crews, adding that the apparent absence of state plows and contractors on major state roads in town was both “unfortunate,” and “uncharacteristic.”

Mr Rosenthal said for much of the early stage of the storm, state plows and contractors were “nowhere to be found on state roads, which led to issues with our plows backfilling for state issues.”

He said he hopes the situation was “an anomaly, and the storm caught state crews off guard.”

The first selectman said local crews did great work struggling to try and manage back roads and state roads. “They played the hand they were dealt,” Mr Rosenthal added.

At one point late Thursday afternoon, local police responded to several separate crashes that happened within minutes in the area of Berkshire Road (Route 34) and Bradley Lane.

Countless other backups due to vehicles stuck on state roads were reported beginning shortly after snow began falling in the 3 pm hour including on Church Hill Road, Mount Pleasant Road (Routes 25 and 6), Sugar Street (Route 302) and other areas of Route 34 and Wasserman Way.

He then reported that $42,000 in material and overtime cost were incurred for this late autumn storm cleanup.

“We’re still adequately budgeted but not off to a great start,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Selectman Capeci asked if the storm’s arrival delayed or postponed the completion of ongoing road resurfacing projects across town.

The first selectman replied that contractors and local highway crews still managed to get nearly all the patch paving done. He said asphalt plants are still open, but all work to be completed this season is done.

Regarding one aspect of the town-wide road program, Mr Rosenthal said he changed the plan on Lakeview Terrace. He said instead of doing about 1,500 feet of drainage and construction, crews instead did some drainage and overlaid to Spring Trail.

“This was a better solution to a problem ten years overdue,” he said, adding that town crews were “paving in the dark and got it done,” on the evening of November 14, just before the snowstorm hit.

“Crews did good work despite the rain and early winter apparently setting in.”

The first selectman also reported that the proposed Bike & Trail Committee ended up attracting 31 volunteers who submitted interest in serving. He said Selectman Crick Owen had been working with Parks & Rec Director Amy Mangold to narrow down the field, but warned selectmen that he may come back and increase the initially proposed seven-member panel to nine.

He proposed the first meeting of the committee for 6 pm on December 13 and said he planned to invite all candidates to attend. Mr Rosenthal said with a big working group of folks all willing to work toward a common goal, it would not be unusual to involve everyone interested, with select appointees taking votes.