Posted on 09/16/22
| News Source: FOX45
On the heels of sharp criticism from members of the Baltimore City Council, Mayor Brandon Scott doubled down on his comments that the city’s communication surrounding E.coli contamination in the drinking water supply was not bungled and agencies involved followed protocol.
During an investigative hearing held at City Hall on Sept. 15, several members of the council demanded answers from Department of Public Works Director Jason Mitchell.
"I am extremely disappointed by unclear and inconsistent communication as well as the low-resolution map that came from DPW in the first 48 hours of this water contamination event. I am especially disappointed this is happening in West Baltimore," Councilman Eric Costello said.
"Why we're here is because of the way it was handled, and frankly, I'm disgusted,” said Councilman Isaac ‘Yitzy’ Schleifer.
On Friday, Mayor Brandon Scott said he’ll always look “for ways to improve” but did not say anything went wrong, noting policy changes are already in the works.
“We’re going to be posting our water testing results every single month so we can be the best,” Scott said.
During the council hearing, Mitchell said there “were a lot of lessons learned” in terms of communication strategies and problems.
“We did struggle the first 24 hours. We needed help,” he said.