Baltimore DOT and DPW pressed on staffing issues
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City Council committee pressed both the city's Department of Transportation and Department of Public Works on where they each stand on staffing levels.
DPW has been in the hot seat, under pressure to restore weekly recycling pickup.
That's an issue WJZ has been hearing from residents about for months: overflowing recycling bins.
"It would be a blessing because we really need it more often," Marie Lehmer told WJZ in March.
The city switched to a bi-weekly collection because of the pandemic. To get it back to weekly pickup, DPW said Wednesday they need to hire 20 more drivers and 40 other workers.
Nearly 100 more trucks have been ordered to help as well.
"Starting next month, we'll actually start the recruitment effort to be able to fill those new crew positions that are going to be dedicated to routine services," said interim DPW director Richard Luna. "That was funded as part of the recent budget adoption process."
Overall, DPW reports a vacancy rate of 23 percent. While restoring recycling services is a priority, the city council's Health, Environment and Technology committee worries of that rate increasing.
Councilwoman Danielle McCray, who represents District 2, chairs this committee.
"Right now, as of a fairly recent study, we know that of our workforce, over 50% can literally retire today," McCray said.
This concern extends to DOT. McCray questioned DOT Wednesday if there are any programs and initiatives that can attract and retain talent.
WJZ couldn't get the DOT's vacancy rate as a whole, but DOT did say they're in need of 22 drivers with a commercial driver's license, as well as 60 school crossing guards.
A DOT staffer said there isn't a timeline for establishing something like an apprenticeship program, but there have been conversations about it.
The goal would be to have workers that can grow and develop in DOT internally.
However, at the hearing, DOT reported they've hired 20 new staff since May and 19 job offers are out there.
"I just wanna make sure that that ball is moving down the court as fast as we can get it down there, that we're winning as a city," McCray said.
DPW does have a job fair coming up on Sept. 9 at the CC Jackson Rec Center. You can check out job openings at DOT and DPW here and here.
