ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
The Revere Department of Public Works building.
By GAYLA CAWLEY and ROBERTO SCALESE
REVERE — When it rains, it pours in the Department of Public Works facility.
That’s the gripe of one Department of Public Works (DPW) employee, who posted a video on Facebook on Tuesday. The 54-second clip showed the poor working conditions in the facility, specifically the office in the Water and Sewer Division. The city yard is located on Charger Street.
Johnny Doherty posted a video which showed water soaked walls and floors, with water pouring down from the ceiling, some of it being contained in recycling bins. He could not be reached for comment, but was identified by Councilor-at-large George Rotondo as the safety director for the DPW.
“OK, here we are, the DPW in Revere,” Doherty says in the video. “This is our office in the Water and Sewer Division. This is how we have to live, day in, day out. It rains more in the building. It rains through the light fixtures. There’s rats and flies and no one willing to help us — not a councilor, not a mayor, not anybody.
“We’re sick of it. We’re sick of it. No human being should have to work in these conditions. Everybody gets sick all the time. We’ve had enough. Someone please send help.”
Joe Gravellese, aide to Mayor Brian Arrigo, emailed a lengthy response to the video on behalf of the mayor’s office.
“Since taking office, the Arrigo administration has worked to address the long-term, systemic problems at the DPW,” Gravellese wrote. “In addition to the poor condition of the DPW facility, the department is also understaffed and has aging, broken-down equipment.
“In the first months of his administration, Mayor Arrigo requested a $100,000 study to determine whether the current building can be repaired, or if a new DPW facility is necessary. This study is nearing completion and will help determine the city’s next steps. We are exploring a number of short term options, including the possibility of using mobile trailers, to move DPW operations while this future work takes place.”
Gravellese said in April, Arrigo also invested $1.5 million in new DPW equipment in the coming years, “which will empower them to more effectively do their jobs.” By the end of the fiscal year, he said the administration is committed to increasing staffing levels at the DPW.
He said these steps have been clearly communicated to DPW staff and union leaders since Arrigo took office.
“We look forward to finally tackling these long-term problems after years of neglect,” Gravellese said. “The DPW facility represents yet another instance in Revere where important infrastructure needs were put off in the name of short-term expediency. These are the kinds of long-running problems the Arrigo administration has been trying to address from day one.
“In the 18 months since Mayor Arrigo took office, more progress has taken place toward repairing or replacing the DPW facility, upgrading DPW equipment, and increasing staffing levels than in many years prior. We look forward to continuing this progress in the months to come, and putting together a plan that will allow DPW to provide the best city services possible.”
But Rotondo said there’s not enough being done, and that there’s been a lack of effort from the mayor on the issue. In addition, he said he’s afraid for Doherty — he’s scared that Arrigo will take vengeance against him and there will be repercussions for posting the video.
“I’m really afraid for the men of the DPW for bringing this forward,” he said.
Gravellese issued a response to the accusation of behalf of Arrigo.
“The councilor has no evidence upon which to base this statement,” Gravellese said. “It’s sad that he wants to use this situation to launch baseless political attacks. Mayor Arrigo is committed to fixing the mess he inherited at DPW. His record indicates as much. The councilor would know, since he had to vote on the funding for a study on the DPW building and new DPW equipment.”
Rotondo said he has been inside the facility and has seen black mold everywhere, in addition to rats and rodent feces throughout, and fungus on the walls. He said the building has deteriorated over the years and lived out its longevity.
Ward 5 Councilor John Powers said the building has to be rebuilt from the ground up or there needs to be a new building entirely.
“The building is in disrepair,” Powers said. “There’s no question about that…Nobody’s denying they need a new building, but that’s up to the mayor. They’ve been talking about it.
“One option for now could be if they moved the offices to another location like the old McKinley School building,” Powers continued. “You could keep parking the trucks down (Charger Street) but have the offices in a different building.”
At this point, Rotondo said he’d also like to see temporary facilities or offices, while officials start to think about demolishing the facility and putting up a new building.
“What’s right is right,” Rotondo said. “What’s fair is fair. These people deserve a facility that they can work in and provide the requisite services for Revere.”
Public Works Superintendent Donald Goodwin could not be reached for comment.
