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Miami Herald
15 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Bulldozer sent to crush homeless camp runs over and kills Georgia man, suit says
The family of a Georgia man is suing after they say he was killed when a bulldozer was ordered to crush a homeless camp and fatally ran him over while he was inside a tent. The lawsuit was filed July 18 against the city of Atlanta and seven other unknown individuals. The lawsuit stems from the January death of 46-year-old Cornelius Taylor. 'The incident involving Mr. Taylor was a tragedy, however it would be inappropriate to comment on any potential pending litigation,' a city representative told McClatchy News in an email. In preparation for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, the city of Atlanta requested the Department of Public Works clean a street that had a '(large) number of tents and debris,' according to a civil complaint. On Jan. 16, the city began to clean the homeless encampment which 'consisted of assorted tents and other makeshift structures made of various materials,' the lawsuit said. The city deployed a 'front loader (a small bulldozer in appearance)' to 'flatten/crush' the tents and structures, the complaint said. The city did this knowing men and women experiencing homelessness used the tents and 'makeshift structures' as their homes, according to the lawsuit. Taylor was in a tent he occupied when the front loader 'flattened' it with him still inside, the lawsuit said. Taylor was able to call for help, and an officer found him in 'severe distress,' the lawsuit said. After he was taken out of what remained of the tent, he 'declined quickly' before being taken to a hospital and dying, according to the complaint. No city employee or officer performed 'the simple act of looking inside the tent to see whether it was occupied,' the lawsuit said. 'Take a few seconds to open the tent to see if anyone is inside the tent!' Taylor's sister, Darlene Chaney, told WXIA. A report from the medical examiner determined Taylor's cause of death to be blunt force injuries, which included a fractured pelvis, 'causing a total separation of the pelvic bones,' lacerations to organs and internal bleeding, according to the complaint. Taylor's attorney told WXIA his family's goal with the lawsuit is to change how homeless camps are cleaned up. 'I watched all the years go by, how he struggled and struggled, and he didn't wanna struggle anymore. A decision was made for him, but now we can help make decisions for other people. To help get them out of this life,' Chaney told WXIA. The lawsuit said by employees not checking the tent, the city's 'actions showed neglect to perform, improper performance, or unskillful performance of a ministerial duty,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.
Washington Post
14-07-2025
- Washington Post
Scrape, paint, repeat: D.C.'s never-ending war on graffiti and stickers
In its war against graffiti, stickering and illegally posted signs, the District has found a resilient foe. As fast as the Department of Public Works crews remove the spray-painted tags and slapped-on stickers, more show up to replace them. The city hasn't lost the fight, but it hasn't won it either. And there is no end in sight.
Axios
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Atlanta to shut camp where unhoused man was killed during clearing
The city of Atlanta will permanently shut down the homeless encampment in Old Fourth Ward where a man was killed during a clearing operation. Why it matters: The clearing of the camp on Old Wheat Street, which resulted in the death of Cornelius Taylor, led to advocates calling for a moratorium on encampment clearings and the city appointing a 90-Day Homelessness Task Force. The task force released recommended changes to the shutdown process. The latest: The cleaning and shutdown will begin at 7:30am Thursday, said Chatiqua Ellison, the mayor's interim senior adviser for housing. She and other officials discussed the closing at a press briefing Monday. Old Wheat Street runs between Boulevard and Auburn Avenue and is near Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. What they're saying: The 14 people currently living on the site will be offered new places to live, said Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, the city's nonprofit services agency. Signage was posted at the site notifying its residents of the shutdown 15 days ahead of the planned date, and case workers have been visiting the site to assess the needs of those living there. The people who've accepted will be moved into what Vassell calls "welcome housing," where they can decide whether they want to stay there short term or long term. If people do not accept the housing, they will be offered short-term shelter, "and then we can make another offer down the road as other housing solutions come up," Vassell said. Catch up quick: According to an Atlanta police incident report, Department of Public Works crews were clearing the encampment on Jan. 16 when an officer saw a man waving his arms from a tent that had just been moved by a machine. The man, who "was in clear distress," told an officer something fell on him, but he slipped into unconsciousness and was later pronounced dead. He was later identified as Taylor, 46. Friction point: Taylor's death sparked outrage from local advocates, who pressed the city to improve housing options for unsheltered residents and called for a pause on encampment clearings. The other side: Several people spoke in opposition to the planned closing during Monday's City Council meeting. "We are talking about removing residents of Atlanta from their homes in the most vicious, unethical and brutal way possible," said resident Jason Klein. State of play: Atlanta police Major Jeff Cantin said Monday the city is closing the encampment not because of next year's FIFA World Cup, but as part of an ongoing, years-long city effort. The big picture: While the city of Atlanta contends with homelessness within its borders, it's also grappling with the number of unhoused people who are relocating to the city. People from other areas are dropping people off at the Gateway Center, which is "now adding to our workload," Cantin said, referring to the nonprofit that connects unhoused people with the resources needed to find a home. What's next: Cantin said once the encampment is closed and cleaned, it will be staffed around the clock and signage will be posted to prevent new people from moving into the area.
San Francisco Chronicle
01-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F.'s quest for a better trash can was plagued by high costs. Will this time be different?
San Francisco nearly gave up trying to replace its troublesome old public trash cans last year with sleek, custom-designed receptacles, amid questions over their cost. Now the effort has come back to life. In 2018, the city asked industrial design firms to create three prototypes, of which the 'Slim Silhouette' design won out, a sleek silver can with two circular openings, one for trash, the other for recycling. Gordon said the design has since been tweaked after a trial run of the cans last year. The Department of Public Works hopes to have the new cans on the street within a year, but maybe sooner, she said. The development is a step forward after uncertainty over the new trash cans' future. Last year, San Francisco's quest for a new modern trash can all but died. After spending more than half a million dollars on prototypes for a new bespoke disposal bin for the city, a lack of funding forced DPW to put its replacement project on hold. Gordon said DPW has been working to ensure that any chosen vendor can handle the mass production of about 3,000 cans while staying within the budget. That might be difficult in a city notorious for delays and cost overruns. The goal is to find a manufacturer to produce the order at $3,000 per can, which Gordon said is on par with sturdy off-the-shelf models. Once a manufacturer is selected and starts building the cans, Gordon said DPW plans to start a pilot program to set up a few new trash cans in certain parts of the city quickly while the department waits for the rest. 'We want to put out a limited number right away to test them, to see if they're working,' she said. 'Once we have contact with a manufacturer, we're hopeful it will fall within our planned budget.' The city is currently still using green cans from the 1990s, but they are plagued with issues and they often make street corners dirtier because of scavengers. The cans have been criticized for not working as intended, with non-trash items intermixing with garbage because of a faulty recycling compartment. The updated trash cans will include a strengthened locking mechanism and be built from materials that make it easier to remove graffiti and tags. In response to frequent concerns about people digging through city trash, the new models are also designed to be more secure. 'Harder to rummage through — all things we've heard for years,' Gordon said. Some residents have called on the city to simply purchase commercial Bigbelly trash cans, already used in some areas. But Gordon noted that community benefit districts have been pulling those out due to ongoing maintenance costs. But that's not all that has upset some residents and critics of the department. When DPW embarked on finding new cans, the city was criticized for its decision to design its own instead of buying an off-the-shelf model. For example, the new cans will have openings large enough for small pizza boxes to go through, but they are also tamper-proof and will be easier to clean and service. Later in 2021, the city revealed that the cost of each custom prototype ranges from $11,000 to $20,000, sparking public outcry and national headlines. The city emphasized that these were not the final production costs, but design and testing prototypes — a standard practice in product development. The idea of spending that much on new trash cans, even temporarily, became a political flashpoint and prompted then-Supervisor Matt Haney and others to call on the city to buy pre-existing models, but the department has decided to continue its project. The timeline remains fluid in terms of when the city will get its new trash cans. But city officials are optimistic. 'It's a very long contracting process, and we know we have to get in the queue with other procurements they're doing citywide,' she said. 'But once we have contact with a manufacturer, we're hopeful it will fall within our planned budget.'
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Public Works Entities Must Create Income-Generating Initiatives and Not Rely on Government Funding
The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure has called on entities within the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure portfolio to explore innovative solutions to improve their financial sustainability, rather than relying solely on the parent department for funding and bailouts. The committee today received a briefing from four public works entities on their 2025/26 annual performance plans and budget allocations. The entities include the Independent Development Trust (IDT), Agrément South Africa (ASA), the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), and the Council for the Built Environment (CBE). The committee expressed concerns over the absence of both the Minister and Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure from the meeting. Members of the committee were not pleased with the Minister's backlog in oral and written questions. In addition, the committee also raised alarm over the continued lack of transparency regarding the costs associated with the Minister's overseas travel, which remain undisclosed. Regarding the IDT, the committee raised serious concerns about the entity's continued financial dependence on the department. Members of the committee questioned whether the entity has any concrete plans to improve its revenue-generating capacity and reduce its reliance on bailouts. The committee also urged the entity to promote inclusivity for categories of previously disadvantaged people, women, youth, and the people with disabilities. The committee further expressed concern over the high legal costs incurred by the IDT and recommended that the entity strengthens its internal capacity to mitigate litigation risks, especially during ongoing projects. The committee called on ASA to identify alternative revenue streams, as continued dependence on government funding is unsustainable. It criticised the weak transformation and job creation targets presented and called for bolder, measurable commitments. ASA's ICT systems were also flagged and the committee encouraged the entity to work collaboratively with departments such as Human Settlements to broaden its impact. T The committee further urged ASA to establish testing sites and laboratories to ensure compliance with technical standards, noting that current operations do not adequately support this function. Committee Chairperson, Ms Caril Phiri, expressed concern over irregularities in contractor grading by the CIDB. She highlighted reports of contractors receiving higher grades without completing corresponding project scopes and urged CIDB to address and dispel public perceptions that grading statuses are being bought. The committee also raised alarm over the CIDB's claim that contractors involved in the recent collapsed building in George were not registered with them, but rather with the National Home Builders Registration Council. The committee called for greater regulatory alignment and oversight between these entities, the national and provincial departments of human settlements, and all municipal councils to prevent such tragedies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
