In a tense and emotional special meeting, the Pine Bluff City Council voted to override the mayor’s decision to remove Mitzi Ruth, director of the Department of Inspection and Zoning, an employee who had served the city for 46 years. The called meeting, held on Thursday night, included impassioned public comments and a lengthy explanation from Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers, ultimately concluding with the council’s adoption of a resolution for reinstatement.
The meeting focused on a resolution to nullify Flower’s recent removal of Ruth. Supporters of the director cited her “institutional knowledge” and the potential “catastrophe” that would result from removing her during a period of infrastructure growth.
During the discussion, Flowers explained that the termination was not sudden but followed months of planning for Ruth’s retirement, which she had discussed since before Flowers took office. Flowers stated that an agreement was in place to hire a qualified replacement and have Ruth stay on to train him.
“I have worked for over a year with the previous leadership,” Flowers explained. “And if I cannot trust the word of that leader… to operate in good faith, then I have to move on. We cannot continue to kick a can down the road,” she said.
Flowers detailed how the new inspector is a mechanical engineer with a doctoral degree. The person has also taken on many of the director’s duties and has earned multiple professional certifications in a short time. Flower’s stated the termination was a direct result of Ruth’s backtracking on her agreed-upon retirement date of January 14 and making a subsequent meeting “very contentious,” where she refused to commit to a Feb. 1 retirement.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
During public comment, the matter was divided. Danny Walker spoke in strong support of the director and her reinstatement: “We have new hotels going up, a lot of infrastructure… if we take away the leadership,…somebody who knows zoning from top to bottom, it would be a catastrophe,” he said.
Alfredo Martin addressed the council about personal struggles with the department. “What I’ve noticed is a lack of leadership, discipline, direction, and respect, and customer service; however, Martin noted that with the help of the “new leadership,” he was finally able to get a permit.
Frederick Jackson, an investor in the city, recounted a costly and drawn-out experience with the department due to a misunderstanding of utility codes. He concluded his statement by warning the council that the “type of adversity” he faced would discourage other business people from investing in the city.
Despite Flower’s detailed account and concerns about future retaliation, the council passed the resolution to override Flower’s decision. The resolution stated that the council “finds that reinstatement is in the best interest of the city and its residents. Ruth was reinstated to the position of director of Inspection and Zoning, effective immediately.