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Art Reinhardt has been named public works director for the city of San Antonio. It's a leadership role similar to the one he had before with Bexar County.
City Manager Erik Wash made the appointment and said Reinhardt heads a department that was reorganized to focus on delivering projects on time and within budget.
The Public Works Department has a big job, including the maintenance of 4,200 miles of streets. That's enough paved road to stretch from San Antonio to Iceland.
Three city council members — Sukh Kaur (District 1), Teri Castillo (District 5), and Marina Alderete Gavito (District 7) — this past spring, called on Walsh to conduct an external review of the department to improve its accountability and transparency to local residents.
Kaur represents the central business district downtown.
"The voices of our community are clear: they need better communication, a clearer process, and faster responses from the Public Works Department," Kaur said this past May. We are taking action to make sure their concerns are heard."
The completion of Santa Rosa Street, a major thoroughfare that serves the federal courthouse, public safety headquarters, Market Square, a major residential high rise, and Christus Children's Hospital, saw its finish date pushed back multiple times and drew public criticism.
Some merchants at Market Square complained the road work on Santa Rosa led to a sharp drop in business. The end result, however, will benefit them in the form of better lighting, safer crosswalks, and more shade trees.
Reinhardt said he was looking forward to getting to work to "better serve the people of San Antonio."
"San Antonio residents interact with city streets, sidewalks, drainage, and traffic infrastructure every day, and together as a staff we will ensure it makes a positive impression," he said.
Reinhardt has more than 20 years of engineering experience, including his one-year tenure as the county's public works director before he was hired away by the city.
Retired Marine Major General, Juan Ayala, served as interim public works director before Reinhardt. He resumed his duties as Military and Veterans Affairs Director this month.
