HARRISBURG, Pa. — Update: 3 p.m. (Sept. 10): Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams exchanged responses with three members of the City Council who criticized her for an alleged "lack of transparency" regarding her emergency site declaration at Broad Street Market.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Williams said:
"I find it disheartening that the same three members of Council who voted against starting work on the Market in May are continuing to do what they can to delay construction. Meanwhile, my administration took their words to heart and hired locally owned businesses with an emphasis on Minority Women Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) to do the job. The ability to expeditiously declare a State of Emergency at the site of the Market's brick building allowed us not only to quickly address the rat issue, but start construction on a building City of Harrisburg residents wanted to start months ago.
I do not work for City Council and they do not work for me. We are supposed to work together, and for nearly three years, my office has been an open door for us to work together. Yet they have shown no desire to work with me. I am committed to working for the residents of Harrisburg, and I would appreciate it if they would let me get back to work instead of answering to these petty concerns."
Council members Danielle Bowers, Lamont Jones and Jocelyn Rawls responded with a statement of their own Tuesday afternoon, claiming that by questioning Williams they "were merely doing our due diligence to ensure the process that occurred following the site emergency declaration was complete and transparent."
The council members' response noted that Williams' emergency declaration was not filed with the city clerk, as mandated by the City of Harrisburg Code.
City code also dictates that any emergency declaration is supposed to be terminated after five days, unless the mayor declares an additional state of emergency.
"The declaration of Site Emergency was only valid for 5 days," the council members said. "The declaration of Site Emergency was not terminated nor was an additional period of state of emergency declared."
The council members also questioned why some of the businesses hired to do the demolition work at the site were from Lancaster and York, when "we have qualified businesses in our city that are ready and able to complete the work" and criticized Williams for minimizing their concerns.
"It is disappointing that you find our questions to be petty concerns," the council members' letter concludes. "We have repeatedly made an effort to improve communication with you; however, you remain defensive and combative."
The letter noted that several positions in Williams' administration, including Communications Director, Finance Director, and Director of Community Relations and Engagement, have been vacated in the last month.
"Your office is far from an open door," the letter said. "It is a revolving door for city staffers."
Previously
The Harrisburg City Council on Monday expressed concerns with the lack of transparency from Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams and her administration regarding the emergency site declaration declared in July at Broad Street Market.
Williams made the declaration on July 23 after a rat infestation was discovered in the Market's brick building, which was nearly destroyed by fire just over a year ago.
The declaration allowed Williams' administration to "bypass a lot of red tape" regarding interior demolition at the brick building site, a spokesperson said. Workers began selective interior demolition in the less-damaged portion of the structure last month.
In a letter sent to Williams on Monday, Harrisburg City Council President Danielle Bowers and members Lamont Jones and Jocelyn Rawls said the emergency declaration "has raised significant questions...regarding transparency and process" among members of the council and its constituents.
"We believe the manner in which this emergency was handled may have circumvented City Council's fiduciary responsibilities," the letter continued.
Bowers and the City Council members said they wanted clarification on seven points, including:
- When was the administration first contacted regarding the presence of rats at Broad Street Market, and what immediate actions were taken?
- When was the building inspected by the Codes Department, and did Director Montgomery create an official report regarding her findings? If so, when will the report be made available to City Council?
- Who was immediately notified of the "emergency" once it was declared, and what steps were taken following that notification?
- When the Site Emergency was announced, why were both City Council and the media not informed in a timely manner, and why was there no public notice?
- What was the specific public health threat posed to the Harrisburg community, and what data or evidence supports this determination?
- When were the contracts related to addressing the emergency executed, and who was involved in the selection and approval process?
- Why was there no time to assemble the City Council for a vote on the recommended contractors, and what led to the decision to proceed without the Council's input?
"We believe it is in the best interest of the community for this situation to be addressed with full transparency," the Council's letter concludes. "As elected representatives of the people of Harrisburg, it is our duty to ensure that proper procedures are followed, especially in situations concerning public safety and health."
The council members called on Williams to cooperate in clarifying the issues addressed in its letter.