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ED INK: Bumps In The Road

One of the drawbacks of being in the newspaper business is that when you make

a mistake, it is out there for all to see. The same can be said of Newtown's

Highway Department. With the press of traffic in Newtown these days, nothing

stands out more than a flaw in the road, and according to a recent study

conducted by an expert from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

(CCM), the flaws in Newtown's town roads are a reflection of flaws in the

organization and operating procedures in the town's Highway Department.

The study suggests that the 37-man department is underequipped, understaffed,

and uncoordinated in its daily battle to maintain and repair Newtown's road

system. Much of the money spent by the town on highway projects is not spent

in a cost-effective way, according to CCM. Though the study notes that the

same can be said of many other highway departments around the state, the

tradition of poor highway management in Connecticut is no excuse to ignore the

local problems.

Public Works Director Fred Hurley was on vacation and not around to defend his

department this week, so we will be interested to hear his eventual response

to the report's conclusions and recommendations. We hope his reaction is not

totally defensive. There has to be some recognition that improvements can and

must be made.

We also have to understand that taxpayers will ultimately have a role in

determining whether the state of the town's roads will improve. In addition to

demanding better management of the Highway Department's resources, we have to

be ready to spend what it takes to equip and staff a department that is

capable of maintaining a local road system that is safe and sound.