TAMPA — On the campaign trail and throughout her tenure as mayor of Florida’s third-largest city, Jane Castor has said that among her top priorities is fixing Tampa’s pot-hole ravaged roads and adding sidewalks.
Yet the division responsible for maintaining city roads and turning those talking points into a reality struggles with safety concerns and inefficiencies, according to records of a recent internal audit reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times.
The audit, completed earlier this month, found some workplace safety rules are inconsistently followed, performance metrics are not always accurately reported and delays in paving and resurfacing have led to noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The division — called Pavement Management — has also been operating without a formal policy and procedures manual, as required by city ordinance. This has led to “confusion, mistakes and inefficiencies in training new employees,” according to the audit.
Vik Bhide, director of the Mobility Department which includes the division, requested the audit because he is “expanding, improving, and focusing more on pavement management,” city communications director Adam Smith told the Times…
