Hours after city engineer John Donnelly was fired and escorted out of Lockport City Hall by police, a member of the common council publicly called for Mayor John Lombardi III’s resignation.
After standing in line behind other community members and Alderman Margaret Lupo during the public comment period of Wednesday’s meeting, Alderman Anita Mullane took the microphone.
“I take no pleasure in what I’m about to say. For the past year and a half, my constituents in the 2nd Ward have not been receiving the services that their tax dollars provide.” She said that Davison Road could have been paved last year, and that Haines Street, Nixon Place, Alanview Drive, Hoover Parkway, and Lindhurst Drive need resurfacing but were left off the list of final paving projects for the season.
“As for the firing of the city engineer,” Mullane said, “the police escorted him out. We’re going in the wrong direction. My disappointment in the lack of leadership is profound. … It is for this reason and many others that I ask you to consider resignation.”
Lombardi smiled but did not comment.
Chief of Police Steven Abbott confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he responded to a request about 9 a.m. to escort Donnelly to the second floor to collect his property and exit city hall, where he had worked. Abbott said he did not know the reason for the escort.
“He was a gentleman,” Abbott said.
During a Common Council budget discussion shortly after 5 p.m., Mark Devine, 1st Ward alderman, asked who would be submitting the engineering budget.
“Is there still an engineer?” Devine asked.
Lombardi responded, “There is no engineer.”
Devine asked who would handle making that budget.
Lombardi replied, “It’s a good question at this point. I don’t have an answer.”
During an executive session, aldermen said they asked why Donnelly was let go from his job, but did not receive a reason.
Nearly 30 residents were in attendance at Wednesday’s Common Council meeting, expecting a presentation from PathStone Development on renovating the Bewley Building into apartments. Although the presentation was cancelled, approximately 10 people took the microphone to commend the council on a resolution opposing the project. Lupo and Mullane were the last two people to address the council. Alderman John Craig left just before public comment.
Lupo protested inaction on flooding on Reed Street and Hyde Park, and said that residents were worried that increased fall rainfall was near.
“Since May, people are still waiting to hear from our city about damages to their basements,” Lupo said. “According to the engineer, they needed cameras put in the sewer line and the sewer vac truck to clear them. We can’t just say our camera is broken and our truck is out of order.”
In a conversation following the meeting, Kevin Kirchberger, alderman-at-large and chair of the city’s highways and parks committee, echoed the concerns of his fellow aldermen.
Speaking about Donnelly’s departure, Kirchberger said, “I’m upset that I wasn’t notified. I found out this afternoon. They said they don’t have to give us a reason.”