Defending their agency after Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Cumming found no working AC or cold water at a sanitation workers’ job site during last week’s record-setting heat wave, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has fired back, disputing one of her findings and arguing others lacked context.

Cumming’s report on her July 10 surprise visit to the Cherry Hill yard noted that “inoperable water fountains” were found in an administrative building.

In fact, says the DPW response memo signed by Deputy Director Richard J. Luna, “the water fountains are in working order; however, the covers were placed over the fountains in March 2020 at the early start of the pandemic and have remained in place.”

Luna also took issue with Cumming’s description of what happened when she walked over to a sink used by employees and reported, “I turned the cold water on, and it was HOT.”

“DPW staff could not identify the sink you noted producing hot water from a cold faucet, as all sinks have both cold and hot water coming from separate faucet handles,” he wrote, copying Chief Administrative Officer Faith P. Leach and Acting DPW Director Khalil Zaied.

• In surprise visit, Baltimore inspector general finds sanitation workers exposed to extreme heat, no A/C (7/10/24)

Cumming, meanwhile, signaled she is looking ahead to publishing additional findings, noting that her office received additional complaints describing poor working conditions at other DPW facilities.

“On the morning of July 16th, the OIG completed site visits at nine DPW facilities, including a third visit at the Cherry Hill Southwestern Sanitation Yard at 701 Reedbird Avenue,” Cumming wrote in a post on her website, promising to release a new report next week.

“We are fully committed to doing this work and plan to continue to conduct inspections,” Cumming told The Brew today.

“Facilities Neglected for Decades”

The two-page DPW response, dated July 16, comes in response to an incident that drew major media attention at a time when smothering heat was the headline for much of the Mid-Atlantic region.

In her published report, Cumming said she found conditions at the Reedbird Avenue yard worse than she had documented on a previous visit. The ice machine was broken, and water bottles were found floating in warm water in a plastic trash container.

The thermostat in a “cooling” trailer read 83°F – and then 85°F – during her hour-long inspection that ended at 7 a.m.

A fan in the employee locker room was blowing hot air. And some of the trash trucks based at the yard had no working air conditioning, Cumming also determined.

Three-Year Time Line

Some other comments made in Luna’s response letter, most referring to actions the agency has taken since Cumming’s report was published:

• At the time of your visit the ice machine was not in working condition; however, the repair parts were on site and later that same day the machine was repaired and restored to working condition.

• On the same day, supervisors made three deliveries of ice to the facility, which was standard practice for when the ice machine was down

• DPW recognizes that both locations are warm utilizing the portable AC units, especially during hotter weather days. Administrative staff working at the facility have since been relocated or allowed to telework until permanent repairs are made to the HVAC system.

There was also this description of upgrades planned by the Scott administration:

Under Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s leadership, Baltimore City has made the necessary investments to improve DPW facilities that went neglected for decades.

Over the next three years in the Capital Improvement Plan (2025-2027), the City has allocated $3.75 million for solid waste facility health and safety improvements, and an additional $1.42 million in ARPA funding was awarded for solid waste capital/facility improvements.

Separately, $8.1 million is budgeted for the Reedbird Sanitation Yard improvements. DPW and its contractor are currently in the design phase for these improvements.

During construction, the agency plans to address and complete repairs to the air conditioning system, floors, lockers and other necessary updates to ensure a better working environment for our employees.

The current timeline for design and construction is three years.