St. Paul public works director resigns

The director of St. Paul's public works department resigned Monday after alleged "misbehavior" by some city street maintenance crews came to light.

Bruce Beese, who has held the post since 2006, stepped down before a KSTP-TV report showing workers taking long lunches, sitting in trucks and not doing work aired Monday night.

In the report, KSTP said that it saw one crew spend a day working for three hours and five minutes and going on break for three hours and 20 minutes. The station said it's not yet clear who with the city is "watching these crews," and it's promising to broadcast more of its undercover work later this week.

Mayor Chris Coleman saw Monday's report and said in a statement that the "behavior documented" is unacceptable.

Coleman said there will be a "top-to-bottom review of the incident" by outside investigators and promised to take disciplinary action where needed. Reassigning workers or firing them is possible.

Coleman asked Rich Lallier, operations manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, to serve as interim director. Lallier has been with the city for more than 30 years.

Beese, a certified public accountant who has worked for the city since 1986, will return to his previous post as the department's administration manager. Because he wasn't fired, civil service rules allow for the return.

Exuding a generally pleasant demeanor, Beese had some rocky times during his stint.

He agitated City Council members in 2007 when a $4 million shortfall in the public works fund that pays for street and sidewalk maintenance didn't become known until late in the year. Reserves were used to cover the gap.

In 2008, the fund that pays to maintain street lights, signs and pavement markings was overspent by $2.3 million. Projects were delayed and other steps were taken to fix that problem.

Still, Coleman approved a $5,000 raise for Beese after his 2008 annual review.

"There was a problem, and the problem's being solved," Bob Hume, the mayor's spokesman, said at the time. "But the problem doesn't capture the tenure of Bruce's career here." Hume pointed to energy savings in the department and other cost-saving measures as positive accomplishments.

City Council Member Kathy Lantry said that much of the work the department does is planned well ahead of time and that that work will continue. She hadn't seen the report Monday afternoon, but she said she trusted the mayor's judgment.

"The buck had to stop with the director as the overall supervisor of the department," she said. "It was the right thing to do on all accounts."

Beese couldn't be reached to comment.

Bob McNaney, the KSTP reporter who did the story, said that he looked at a few other cities but that St. Paul's case was egregious. He recently spent 30 hours observing city crews.

He said Coleman and Beese reacted with "genuine anger" when they saw the footage. "It's clear to me more people will be held accountable -- and should be," McNaney said.

At the same time, Lantry said, trust and accountability is crucial. "All other work will hum right along -- probably better now than before."