After publicly blasting Public Works Director Mike Pratt and his department at the March 20 Columbus City Council meeting, Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens took a more civil approach to discussing the Public Works Department Tuesday night. Mickens, who at the previous council meeting was criticized by Hilda Fox, a constituent of his ward, earlier chastised Pratt for not getting the job done in Ward 2.
“The road crew has not had time to get the potholes on the street, at Church’s Chicken and Tampico Bay restaurant,” Mickens said, referring to road repairs needed on Highway 82 and on College Street. “A work order has been completed and (the work) should be completed in the coming weeks. I realize the road crew had projects ongoing, throughout the city, and could not move as quickly as some think when it comes to their concerns. I truly thank Ms. Hilda Fox for coming forward and expressing her concerns about Ward 2.”
During the public input portion of Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 6 resident Leon Speck defended Pratt and his department, blaming the council for the delay in completed work. Speck said work being done on the new soccer complex and other city projects was creating delays for the Public Works Department. He blamed the city for not being able to afford the proper contractors for certain projects.
“My understanding is that every (city) department is to serve the citizens of Columbus,” Speck said. “My concern is that a lot of people don’t think they are getting their services out of the Public Works (Department). When is Public Works going to be freed up from doing all of the in-kind services they are doing, because the city couldn’t afford a contractor? As long as these Public Works employees are tied up doing these things, they can’t do the job the citizens expect them to do. (The council) wants to blame the employees and (department head Mike Pratt) but I don’t think it’s their fault. Don’t be pointing fingers at the Public Works Department, blaming them for things that aren’t their fault.”
Mayor Smith assured Speck the department was back on schedule.
“I think the Public Works Department has been freed up from the soccer complex, for about two months,” Smith said. “They should be on track for regular city work.”
Speck said he felt Pratt was unjustly criticized by Mickens on March 20.
“It’s upsetting that people want to jump on the Public Works Department and their leader, because they haven’t completed the things this person thinks they should have done,” he said. “The last council meeting was uncalled for. It upset me to see people act like that. You are supposed to act like professionals.”
After the meeting, Speck said he hopes the council will stop pointing fingers at department heads.
“It’s a continuous occurrence for them to want to jump on the department heads for things they don’t have any control over,” said Speck. “(The council) sets the policies and then they do all of this other stuff that allows them not to be able to fulfill their obligations to do their work in a timely manner. (Mickens) should have apologized. Previous administrations have done this and then apologized. This is nothing new.”
Pratt was criticized in March when members of the City Council alleged he misused city property, after Pratt gave about $15 worth of asphalt, which could no longer be used by city crews who were working nearby, to Lavonne Harris, a local business owner, who spread the small amount in the driveway of her business, Von’s Exotic Hair Salon, located on Gardner Boulevard.
Mickens called for Pratt’s resignation in open session of the March 21 council meeting, before Smith warned the matter should be discussed in executive session, closed to the public. Disciplinary action against Pratt was tabled at the meeting and the council initially was scheduled to discuss possible action Tuesday night in executive session, but the matter was taken off the agenda.
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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