Photo sent in by Darrin Besescheck of his son, D.J. trying to find his car.
Sunday, 1:45 p.m. — The city has hired private contractors with bucket loaders and payloaders, Police Chief Joel Hurliman said and many are out clearing roads. Major roads should be open by tonight.
Sunday, 11 a.m. — Unfortunately people may not see that plow come through any time soon, according to Mayor Mark Lauretti Sunday morning.
“I wish I had better news but it’s going to be some time,” Lauretti said.
The roughly three feet of snow that fell in Shelton has proved too much for city plow vehicles.
“Our plows are not pushing the snow, they are getting stuck,” Lauretti said.
The city has had to get bigger machines from private companies. A lot of those companies have obligations to fill already so it’s been a slow process, the mayor said.
“Guys are working hour after hour,” Lauretti said. “They are tired and they have a big job in front of them.”
The mayor said about 16 snow removal vehicles are our today with some 20 trucks.
“I’m reluctant to give an estimate of time,” the mayor said of when streets will be done. “There is a lot of uncertainty and every road has to be done with a machine — it’s a slow process.”
The mayor said it’s not just Shelton that doesn’t have the right equipment for such a large amount of snow, other towns are experiencing similar problems.
“This is the worst snowfall in our history probably,” Lauretti said. “The state didn’t even have main roads up until late last night.”
Brett
February 10, 2013
BULLDOZERS …GG
Linda I
February 10, 2013
Maybe you Mayor, should consider having a private company take care of Shelton roads instead of public works! The taxpayers of Shelton would be better served.
Brittany Marganski
February 10, 2013
Well my neighbors are out with their snow blowers clearing the streets. Seems that snow blowers are working better than the towns plows!
billy l
February 10, 2013
Ok we can understand that however when the forcast tells you that we are getting over 30 inches of snow the city should be ready and get sub contractors with heavy equipment.there is plenty of them out in shelton..obviously the city is once again…not prepared.the mayor needs to call in more subs because there are 5 or 6 city plow trucks broken down on the side of the road.it might be time to retire some of the old scrap metal….
Horton Huntington
February 10, 2013
Is it true Shelton’s Mayor Lauretti in Florida w/ Shelton’s Public Works Director?
Rumor I heard is Mayor Lauretti won’t pay increased Sunday rate of pay which is double-time vs a Saturday rate of time and
a half to clear Shelton’s residential streets. If true, disgusting. Certainly hope no Shelton family is put at risk or suffers for an ignorant decision made from a golf course.
Shelton Resident
February 10, 2013
I heard the same thing about Lauretti being in Florida now. And that the unions are angry that he’s not paying overtime. Would love some confirmation on this.
Cristian Vee
February 10, 2013
Looks like it’s up to us shelton residents to do the mayor’s job. Keep this in mind during the next election.
LCaputo
February 10, 2013
Poor management – They should have been plowing long before the snow got that deep. They wouldn’t be stuck. Also, what happens if there is a fire and the firetrucks can’t get down the street? Someone should be raising the roof about this…this is unacceptable.
Ruth Anne
February 10, 2013
Get over yourselves, it isnt the Mayors fault that the STATE of CT is having issues ALL over with ALL the cities equiptment. Give me a break, your just a bunch of self serving individuals that like blaming others for Natures Ways. Shelton is not the only city having trouble, Bpt, Milford, New Haven, Lancaster, … quite a few!! I mean really people. If you wanna help go out and help snowblow/shovel the roads a bit along with your neighbors and give the City works some assitance, they have been working extremely hard to try to get things going. Another thing, if some jackasses would have stayed off the roads, they would not have needed first assistance off those roads, and things would have gone somewhat quicker. Grab a coffee/beer/juice//valium and relax enjoy the break from life. Enjoy your families with some quality time!! and Stop Bitching about who is to blame.
billy l
February 10, 2013
Ok lady then can u tell us why newtown and monroe have less trucks then shelton and their streets are totally plowed.most of sheltons streets dont even have one lane plowed…if you needed an ambulance for one of your family members.would you still feel the same way.
Rob
February 11, 2013
Because they had less snow!
Horton Huntington
February 10, 2013
Ruth Anne,
Your angry and defensive tone suggests you can’t get out to get YOUR Valium prescription refilled. Stop projecting how you handle stress onto the rest of us. It is perfectly legitimate for citizens to question the manner in which their
city’s “leadership” makes decisions
and conducts itself especially in
emergent circumstances, whether they are weather related or not.
Ruth Anne, may I suggest you travel
outside of your warm home and venture into the very suburban neighborhoods of Huntington which are very different from Bridgeport, New Haven and the other regions
you cite. I don’t get your reference to Lancaster. You do know we are concerned with what has occurred in Shelton, Connecticut, don’t you? Travel up Ripton Road and attempt a right hand turn down any of the suburban streets there. You won’t get far! Nearly none are plowed and in fact Longmeadow has had a City of Shelton snow plow broken down (or is it simply out of fuel?) in the middle of it since yesterday. Any reasonable person might expect that today’s mild temperatures would have allowed city workers to at the very least, remove their equipment so residents could clean their own street. Continue up Ripton and cross into Monroe where you will find very similar suburban roads, each paved wide in spite of large volumes of snow and where bare, black pavement is both visible and the norm. Please Ruth Anne,
pipe down and recognize the right for Shelton’s taxpaying
citizen’s to question their city’s feeble response to this particular snowstorm. It is our responsibility to question where is Shelton’s mayor and upon what is he basing his response to this rare and extreme weather event.
jamie
February 10, 2013
How come Monroe streets are cleared?/ Even their side street! Have a freind on a dead-end in Monroe- they were plowed at 4 pm yesterday. Monroe got the same snow Shelton did! How come they can do it and we can’t????? Haven’t seen a single plow out in Shelton!!
Ruth Annes
February 10, 2013
who cares, how come brideport isnt clear, how come ansoina has clear roads and derby but not shelton, why are most of seymours roads clear but not milford? waaaaahhhhhh waaaaahhhhhhh sit back and relax, do you know there are around 7000 people without power which means they have no heat, and I will put money down that some have children…………stop worrying about snow removal and be greatful you have power and are safe!
billy l
February 10, 2013
Sit back and relax?? If the roads arent plowed how the heck is the electrical companies going to repair the power…and how is the households going to get the oil companies near the houses to repair the heat if there isnt even a path big enough for a infant to walk down god forbid if someone has a house fire….icant rax..i am worried about getting to work tomorrow to support my family and
Make some money to pay my taxes so the mayor can take a vacation n and know that my tax dollars are going to the city of shelton
billy l
February 10, 2013
Wwaahhh waahh :i have kids also…i also dont care about brpt or seymour..i pay my taxes in shelton.it would be nice to have a city truck make some sort of a path for me to get to work because right now a frieken mouse cant even make it up the street.
Ruth Anne
February 10, 2013
lmao people make me laugh………. nothing but nothing is gonna get resolved and or removed faster by complaining about something that is NOT ony ONE persons fault…….Mother Nature Dumped on us and Many Cities have the same issues…..relax, have a drink!
Ruth Anne
February 10, 2013
this is redundant, have a wonderful nite Billy and remember to thank god you have power and can stay warm…….good luck with the snow removal and dont forget to blame Lauretti when the freezing rain starts tonight and your driveway and stirs are covered in ice because he didnt hold an umbrella over them. Enjoy and God Bless!!
Horton Huntington
February 10, 2013
Ruth Anne,
Your angry and defensive tone suggests you can’t get out to get YOUR Valium prescription refilled. Stop projecting how you handle stress onto the rest of us. It is perfectly legitimate for citizens to question the manner in which their
city’s “leadership” makes decisions
and conducts itself especially in
emergent circumstances, whether they are weather related or not.
Ruth Anne, may I suggest you travel
outside of your warm home and venture into the very suburban neighborhoods of Huntington which are very different from Bridgeport, New Haven and the other regions
you cite. I don’t get your reference to Lancaster. You do know we are concerned with what has occurred in Shelton, Connecticut, don’t you? Travel up Ripton Road and attempt a right hand turn down any of the suburban streets there. You won’t get far! Nearly none are plowed and in fact Longmeadow has had a City of Shelton snow plow broken down (or is it simply out of fuel?) in the middle of it since yesterday. Any reasonable person might expect that today’s mild temperatures would have allowed city workers to at the very least, remove their equipment so residents could clean their own street. Continue up Ripton and cross into Monroe where you will find very similar suburban roads, each paved wide in spite of large volumes of snow and where bare, black pavement is both visible and the norm. Please Ruth Anne,
pipe down and recognize the right for Shelton’s taxpaying
citizen’s to question their city’s feeble response to this particular snowstorm. It is our responsibility to question where is Shelton’s mayor and upon what is he basing his response to this rare and extreme weather event.
Ruth Anne
February 10, 2013
*stairs
billy l
February 10, 2013
omg god lady you are missing the point….I am not blaming the mayor for the amount of snow that mother nature dumped on us,what is frustrating is that there are 4 or 5 broken down city trucks,you know what they look like right lady??they are the old …trucks that are broken on the side of the road…so if 5 city trucks are down then should the mayors office call 5 more subcontractors or make the residents wait….I dont drink and I dont know you but by your responses…it sounds like you had possibly one to many….god bless you toooo.
Jeff
February 10, 2013
So far, 36 hours after it has stopped snowing, I have one robo-call from the city thanking me for being patient. The city’s website has a post about offices being closed, but no single update about road clearing. The page on the website has a story about a dangerous storm approaching – - Hurricane Sandy!! This is yet another instance of Shelton residents willing to accept poor services in favor of lower taxes. I don’t really care what’s going on in other towns – this one is just mismanaged!
Lisa
February 10, 2013
Fact of the matter, people, is you get what you pay for. Taxes are lower in Shelton than most other towns. Keep voting for Lauretti and NOTHING CHANGES. The DPW in this town is horrible compared to neighboring towns. This is no fault of the hard-working employees. It is the city’s administration. Nothing changes if nothing changes folks. Think about that next election.
Joe
February 11, 2013
Folks. Go to the other town “patch” or town newspaper websites. Most of there residents are complaining too. This was HISTORIC SNOW NOW FALL. Last time snow fell at this rate was 1888! They did NOT predict 3+ feet in Shelton helton… More like half that. Plow trucks are not capable of moving that volume of snow. You would all be complaining if the city was taxing you each year to budget for a storm that occurs once in a 100years
TC
February 11, 2013
It is time for a leadership change in Shelton. Lower taxes are great but when basic services can not be coordinated it’s a problem. This isn’t just DPW. It’s schools, programs, etc. Shelton is a wonderful town made up of hard working people. If we want people to move here and increase our tax base we’ve got to be open to more taxes to improve our town. This snowstorm, albeit historic, has crippled transportation. It is absolutely fair to look at Monroe, Trumbull, Newtown…we have to in order to improve. Btw, the emergency message was weak…if you were able to hear it. Again, sub-par delivery. Let’s make change happen. Vote for change!
ADC
February 11, 2013
My husband and six other neighbors got together yesterday with snow blowers and cleared a path for our cars to get out. Last night the city came by and plowed us back in. We live on a circle, they did the main strip of our street and plowed the snow back into the inside of the circle leaving us “trapped”. I have 2 children with high fevers that need to see their doctor today and I can’t get out!!! They were here and never finished the job.
Peter G
February 11, 2013
Looks like a lot of people who don’t like the mayor also have no idea how the weather works. I work in emergency services (NOT in Shelton; this is where I live) and I had an opportunity to tour several surrounding cities and towns yesterday.
This isn’t a surprise to me but it evidently will be to some of you: the distribution of snow was UNEVEN. For instance, New Haven got visibly less than we did. So did Monroe. The snowfall was in bands and Shelton clearly got one of the heaviest (my own driveway had just shy of FOUR FEET of snow due to drifting caused by the wind).
At the height of the storm the accumulation rate was 5+ inches per hour. No reasonable fleet of plows could have kept up with that.
This has nothing to do with anyone’s bad decisions, it was luck of the draw. Derby had the same problem of their plows not being able to move this much snow. Part of the problem is that it’s impossible to PLOW this much snow because there’s no place for it to go. You need a fleet of loaders to pick it up and take it somewhere else. No city the size of Shelton (unless it’s a Colorado ski resort) can justify having that equipment sitting around for an event that comes once in multiple decades.
Nor is it possible to have advance contracts with companies that have such equipment that would put Shelton in front of all their other clients – not without paying an insanely high rate. Companies are going to favor their regular customer base and a city with a DPW by nature will not be a regular client.
If you want to beat up this mayor please find another reason. I LIKE my low property taxes and have found the public services here in Shelton to be terrific. This was a natural disaster and there wasn’t anything that could have been done about it.
Enjoying my time stuck home with my family
February 11, 2013
Well said wish more people were smart enough to understand what you said. Haters will keep hating. People need to be responsible for themselves and be prepared for storms like this and Sandy and quit blaming the government for all their problems.
Shelton Resident
February 11, 2013
I think we are all well aware of the historic nature of the storm. Nobody is expecting clean up over night. Only asking for some communication from our mayor – he has been completely missing. One robocall since the storm started and one article in which he is quoted – that’s it! Lauretti should be out there reassuring his citizens that there is some hope that a plow will reach their street. That is part of the job that the people of Shelton gave him. And look at neighboring towns. Seymour and Oxford leaders out there telling people that they have been driving around their towns and want to know personally the exact streets that haven’t been plowed. In Monroe most roads are clear – even the side streets. This is a complete failure to lead. And I want to make clear I don’t blame the individuals who are out there in the plows – this is not their fault if there is no leadership. Finally, is there a reason why the Shelton Herald and Shelton Patch haven’t run any stories about this since yesterday? Silence from everywhere. It’s getting maddening.
TC
February 11, 2013
I agree “Shelton”. It’s about leadership, expectations and a willingness to want to improve. If we accept that this nothing will change. Look at the utilities. They are planning and scrambling to fix outdated processes. This storm was historic and the folks at DPW are working hard. We need to help them. And btw, historic storms are happening every few months. It’s time to lead us through new ideas and concepts to handle issues. Our mind sets are dated…as is our infrastructure. We must respond to issues with new ideas. The world is not the same as it was 50 yrs. ago.