Two weeks after the release of a report on mismanagement of a major city road project, Roswell has a new transportation director. The city has replaced the director of transportation Muhammad Rauf, at least temporarily, and is looking at changes to policy and procedures in how city projects are managed.
An independent investigation by the Jarrard & Davis law firm on the Oxbo Road project cited several failures with the ongoing, overbudget roadwork. And Mayor Lori Henry and the Roswell Department of Transportation have borne the brunt of criticism from residents and officials.
Last week, Dan Skalsky was announced on the city website as interim transportation director, replacing Rauf. Skalsky was serving as the director of public works.
Roswell Communications Director Julie Brechbill would not confirm if Rauf is still employed by the city.
“The city does not discuss personnel matters with the media or public,” Brechbill said via text to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rauf’s mobile phone number was disconnected Friday but his page on LinkedIn, an employment-focused website, continued to show him employed with the City of Roswell as director of transportation.
Roswell is realigning Oxbo Road, where project costs reach almost $14 million. The project was initially slated to be complete by early 2022 and cost $9 million. The project has been stalled most of this year partly due to the relocation of utility poles. In September, Jarrard & Davis issued a report of a seven-month investigation launched by Henry. The law firm is continuing to work on minor aspects of the investigation, Henry told the AJC Friday.
Henry said its essential to start instituting changes recommended by the report, such as hiring project managers and establishing new policies for acquiring private property. During the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Michael Fischer, interim city administrator, discussed establishing standard operating procedures for new projects.
During public comment of the meeting, one of Henry’s opponents in the mayoral race, Jason Yowell, criticized Henry’s and the city’s handling of the Oxbo project and payment to a developer for land that he didn’t own.
“I don’t know how you close a piece of property and pay the money and not have a valid warranty deed,” Yowell said.
Another mayoral candidate, Kurt Wilson, said changes to processes for projects should’ve been made long ago, “but now it’s a public outcry and the political thing to do …”
Henry told the AJC that she launched the investigation because she was not getting answers on the troubled project from city staff.
“So now the report had recommendations to be made and my pledge to the public is we will start making those changes,” she said, adding that it’s not a political move. “I’m following through on the changes.”
Councilwoman Christine Hall said early discussions on new polices, processes and procedures are good but she suggests staff consider additional outside experts look at how Roswell approaches projects.
“My point is we need to overhaul the whole process because (the Jarrard & Davis report) only identified things that were wrong as far as the scope of this investigation,” Hall told the AJC. “There may be other things as an organization … (we) need to look at all of the processes.”
