New DOT head peppered with questions at meeting

GOSHEN — The new commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, Joseph Giulietti, had good news and bad news for the members of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (COG) on Thursday, Sept. 26.

The COG is made up of the first selectmen of 21 Litchfield County towns, including all six towns in the Region One School District.

The good news was that going forward it will be easier to get federal loans for transportation projects.

The bad news is the agency is carrying a lot of debt.

On the former item, Giulietti said the loosening of federal regulations “gives us the opportunity to talk to the Legislature again.”

That mild note of optimism was tempered by this remark: “I walked in the door and found out that 40% of my budget is debt repayment.”

(Giulietti started the job in January.)

The first selectmen, mayors and town managers of the 21 towns in the COG had some questions.

Gordon Ridgway of Cornwall said that the Housatonic Railroad continues to spray herbicides along the railroad track bed and the result is dead trees, which then have to be taken down before they fall on the tracks or on roads.

Giulietti said he wasn’t aware of the extent of the problem and would follow up.

Don Stein of Barkhamsted asked for help in getting state road money (Town Aid Road) flowing.

Giulietti said he would take care of his side, “but you have to keep up the pressure.” (State Rep. Maria Horn, D-64, was at the meeting and nodded at Giulietti’s remark.)

Hartland First Selectman Wade Cole said residents of that town were complaining that the state’s ice melting mixture had contaminated wells.

Giulietti promised he would “get to the bottom of it.”

Bob Valentine of Goshen asked that grant applications be streamlined. He said it took three years to complete a half mile of road at a cost of $600,000. “We did a mile for less than half of that.”

Valentine said the grant process was so lengthy and cumbersome that he would probably not go through it again.

Giulietti said Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has heard similar complaints about different state agencies. “You’re not the only one.”

“I’m with you. I hear you. I’m not the enemy on this,” he continued.

Dan Jerram of New Hartford asked that state crews that remove signs — usually political — from state rights of way on roadsides make an exception for farmers advertising their products.

Giulietti said he would try to “find some way to make that work.”