LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — As central Kentucky continues digging out from the winter storm that hit at the end of January, state and city leaders are working to clear up both icy roads and some confusion over how help was coordinated. During his Team Kentucky update Thursday, Governor And y Beshear voiced frustration over how snow and ice were handled in Fayette County, saying the state had stepped in after concerns about the city’s response. “I think we’re all disappointed, by the city’s response to this ice and snow event. This is the second one in a row that we should have seen better results, and I think the mayor has said that and has taken responsibility. We helped and, and have helped, and then we’re told for a period of time that our help wasn’t needed. We have asked, and it has been accepted, to help some more. Now, what we’re also going to do is provide any guidance that’s requested or that we can offer, to update and change, Lexington’s snow and ice removal plan.” Now, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton says the city never turned away state assistance and believes the situation came down to a misunderstanding. “I would never instruct any employee to refuse any kind of help from the state, especially help with clearing our roads,” Gorton said. The mayor says after speaking with the governor and city employees who communicated with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, she’s confident help was accepted — both last week and again this week. Gorton also pushed back on claims that the city wasn’t prepared, saying roads were pre-treated well ahead of the storm. “Pre-treating is a regular part of the way we operate. We did extensive pre-treating for this storm,” she said. Even with new equipment and additional contractors brought on this year, Gorton said the thick ice combined with prolonged cold temperatures created a challenge few cities could easily handle. “Even though we took several steps and invested in improving our response this year, including new equipment and hiring additional contractors, we were still not prepared to handle the thick coating of ice Lexington received, especially when it was coupled with extended cold,” Gorton said. She noted that meteorologists say this stretch of cold ranks among the longest in Lexington’s history, with 278 hours at or below freezing between January 22 and February 3 — and only one day above freezing in the past two weeks. Road clearing efforts are still ongoing across the city, with help from state crews, construction contractors, and city workers. “We appreciate the state’s assistance. Work is progressing into the neighborhoods on school bus routes,” Gorton said. Gorton also says changes are already in motion to improve how the city handles ice storms after weeks of dangerous winter weather across central Kentucky. She says the city is moving forward with plans to hire contractors specifically equipped to deal with heavy ice — especially during long stretches of below-freezing temperatures. “Clearly, under these conditions, we don’t have the tools we need to get the ice off the streets, so we’re going to hire the right kind of help,” Gorton said. “Ice is becoming a more frequent visitor during our winters. It is a formidable foe. We need to be better prepared to handle it.” Along with bringing in specialized help, the city will conduct what Gorton described as an extensive, internal, military-style after-action review of its response to the latest storm. “We want to take a look at what we did right and where we went wrong,” she said. The review will examine the full timeline of storm preparation and response, communication and organizational structure, accountability, and the need for a detailed system to track which streets have been treated. It will also assess the impact of the $3.5 million investment the city made last year following the 2025 winter storm. Gorton is also inviting residents to share ideas — especially those who have lived in communities that frequently deal with ice storms. Suggestions can be emailed directly to the mayor’s office at [email protected]. City crews and contractors continue working to clear remaining icy areas as conditions improve, according to the mayor. Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: Andy Beshear snow response, Fayette County snow removal update, Kentucky winter storm aftermath, Lexington road conditions ice, Linda Gorton state assistance roads ...read more read less