New Milford Approves Permanent Roads Committee

NEW MILFORD, CT —The New Milford Town Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance establishing a Municipal Roads Committee at its regular meeting on last week.

The new permanent committee will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating all requests for proposals and/or bids with respect to road-related work outsourced by the town. The committee will be empowered to make recommendatios to the Purchasing Authority, who is responsible for the final decision.

The new committee will maintain the schedule of road work, and be making recommendations regarding priorities for correcting road deficiencies and establishing criteria in prioritizing road improvement projects. It will report to report to the Town Council. and the finance board.

After over a year of the town addressing road problems via a temporary ad-hoc panel, Mayor Pete Bass applauded the new ordinance as a necessary step forward for New Milford:

"Since taking office as mayor, and prior to that as a Town Council member, I have said that fixing roads is priority number one. Last year's study by our ad-hoc committee revealed many to be in need of repair — due to harsh winters and the sheer volume of use. As a result, in April, citizens approved $6 million in road improvements. As a vital part of our town used daily by everyone, roads need to be safe for all our drivers, especially the thousands of senior citizens who have given so much to New Milford and deserve to be able to utilize them safely and without trepidation. The Municipal Roads Committee is both a critical component in this ongoing effort and a welcome addition to New Milford's government."