At his own request, Public Works Director Davis Picozzi appeared before the City Council Monday night to respond to allegations he’s operating the department as a “criminal enterprise.”

Armed with a binder the size of a telephone book filled with receipts, pay records and purchase orders, Picozzi addressed charges made predominantly in anonymous comments on the Warwick Watch Facebook page that gasoline, tires and batteries are being filched from the city by city employees.

Other allegations, which Picozzi attributed to “that group,” included the theft of enough materials to build two houses and use of the city’s Home Deport card by employees to make personal purchases.

Picozzi linked some of the allegations to requests for public information made by Stacia Huyler, who ran for mayor in a 2014 Republican primary against Mayor Scott Avedisian, although he did not name Huyler or those who have supported her. Referencing requests for documentation on the purchase of 146 automobile batteries, Picozzi said his department gathered all the requested documentation but it was never picked up.

“All 146 batteries were accounted for,” he said. He said yesterday that not only did Huyler not pick up the data she requested, she didn’t pay the $165 it cost to compile.

Picozzi, who has directed the department for the past 14 years, also described how he has been contacted on numerous occasions by “investigative reporters” about charges appearing on Warwick Watch. In some instances, he said, reporters have called him back after researching charges to apologize for having put him through the exercise.

“It’s a website of misinformation,” Picozzi said in response to claims that the department had spent $500,000 that had not been budgeted to make renovations to the second-story offices of the City Hall Annex occupied by the Fire Department until it moved to Station One across the street. Picozzi waved a sheath of papers saying he had the records showing the expenditure of $261,000 that includes the cost of wiring the building’s fire alarm to meet code.

Huyler, who attended the meeting with her former campaign manager Roy Dempsey, did not speak during the public comment portion that immediately followed Picozzi’s remarks. Reached later, she said the items she posts to the site are factual and that she sticks to the numbers. She said she is regularly fed leads by people telling her to “check this out” and that she doesn’t have control over comments and allegations made on the site. She said she removes offensive comments from the site.

Huyler did take responsibility, as she did at the time, for a post that focused on the fact that Picozzi’s elderly in-laws have vehicles with the same registration identification. The post raised questions whether this was a means of avoiding taxes. When it was explained one vehicle was registered with a suburban plate and the second regular plate, Huyler removed the post and personally apologized in a video she put on the site.

Referencing that incident, Picozzi said “they were so certain” that they called police.

According to City Clerk Judy Wild, Huyler has made 27 requests for information under open records law since September. Huyler did not specify what those requests have revealed when asked, but she did question Picozzi’s characterization that the department has saved the city hundreds of thousands of dollars by performing the work on the annex building.

“Show us how,” she said in an email. “I asked in a citizens records request how many city employees are working on the Annex Project – reply was no documentation listing number of employees.”

In his comments before the council, Picozzi said, “This is all untrue…these are things we’re being accused of. It’s laughable.”

Picozzi described some of the checks and procedures used by the department including a swipe car system used to activate gasoline pumps that records the date and time of its use, who has the card and the amount of gasoline pumped. Cards are also used for entering and leaving the city yard after hours that maintain records.

In response to online demands that the department should have surveillance cameras, Picozzi said, “They’re late again, we’ve had those for years.”

As for allegations enough material has been taken from the city to build two houses, Picozzi said that should be reported to police. He asked to see the houses. “Where’s the proof of that?”

He called allegations that $1 million in materials has been stolen from the department over the past 10 years “outrageous” and asked, “Show me the proof.”

“I can guarantee there’s no theft,” Picozzi said. He said he is proud of his men and the department, and he believes most people “see through the rhetoric of this group.”

Applause greeted his comments. There were no questions from the council.

Council President Donna Travis said she had nothing but respect for Picozzi and the department. “I’m glad you came forward and cleared the air,” she said.

Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur pointed out that he introduced the resolution to have Picozzi appear before the council at Picozzi’s request. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Scott Small, president of the Warwick Employees Union, spoke of the negativity of allegations on social media. He said city employees are hardworking and dedicated.

“We’re not typical employees. We get things done. We build things in Warwick,” he said.

Huyler said she thinks the only way for the city to know is for a forensic audit. While she acknowledged such an audit could be costly, she suggested it be placed on the ballot as a referendum.

Asked yesterday what it would take to conduct an audit, City Finance Director Ernest Zmyslinski asked where it would start.

“If you’re looking at every transaction, would you do every tax bill?” He went on to ask if it would include sewer and water bills.

“This is a very broad statement,” he said.

He doubted any company would bid with a set price on a comprehensive audit and felt that an hourly rate would be the only way to do it.

“It’s such a broad statement,” he said, “with unlimited financial consequences to the city.”