Hyattsville Public Works Director Resigns

The Hyattsville City Council has another administrative vacancy to deal with. 

Nearing the end of a two-year contract, Hyattsville Department of Public Works Director Patrick Ryan has resigned to take a new job in the midwest, effective March 16, according to Mayor Marc Tartaro. The resignation comes as members of City Council, and Ward Five Councilor Ruth Ann Frazier and Ward Four Councilor Paula Perry,  

Tartaro, in a brief interview after last night's City Council meeting, said that the city will address the vacancy left by Ryan's departure. 

"We're looking internally, initially, to have someone to keep things going while we're going out to find a new DPW director," said Tartaro. 

Ryan is a native of Berwyn, Ill., according to an article on his hiring published in the Jan. 27, 2010 Hyattsville Reporter. Ryan's family still lives in Chicago, according to Tartaro. 

"He actually did a lot of good things for the city and kept us moving on a number of fronts," said Tartaro, summing up Ryan's employment with the city. "His family was still in Illinois, so he's going back to Illinois again."

Ryan oversaw a number of initiatives for the city, including a The trick: cut trash collections from twice a week to once. 

Tartaro said the City Council discussed Ryan's resignation during a closed session held at the end of last night's meeting, but he did not go into specific details about the discussion. The council was in closed session for about half an hour. 

"One lesson I think we've learned, is we really have to hire local people," said Tartaro. 

The city also has manager-level vacancies in a number of departments, including the Arts and Recreation Department, the Code Enforcement Office, and the City Administrator and Assistant City Administrator positions.