Council presses mayor for details on "Operation Greenway" cleanup and budget

Councilors used the Sept. 13 meeting to press the administration for details about Operation Greenway, a citywide cleanup campaign announced by the mayor's office.

"The media advisory states there are 500 employees working 10 hours a day for five days a week and 5,000 overtime hours," Councilor (speaker 16) told the mayor's representative and requested specifics about how that level of overtime fits into the adopted budget. The councilor pointed to the public works overtime line in the adopted budget, which is approximately $73,855, and asked whether the mayor's plan would require an amendment.

Council members also asked for an inventory or audit of the fleet and equipment the administration plans to use (the media advisory referenced 100 trucks), and requested a calendar tying cleanup activities to the fiscal year and capital projects. "We would like to know what impact this will have to our budget and what are the mayor's plans should these activities cause us to go over that $73,855," the councilor said.

Councilors asked for written documentation of: (1) the expected overtime and how it will be paid, (2) a recent fleet audit or the most recent available audit, (3) how the $4.45 million budgeted for cleanup is structured across line items, and (4) how bond funds and other capital projects outside downtown will be prioritized under the mayor's plan.

What happens next: The councilor said he would submit the questions in writing and expects a response from the mayor's office within the statutory timelines for financial requests under the mayor-council act.