In what Mayor MaryJane Dolan called a “baptism by fire,” in Benda’s second week, at his first city council meeting, an unprecedented situation at the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center — in which 66 inmates barricaded themselves inside a cell block — forced him to handle a major crisis on the fly.
Along with representatives from Lynchburg emergency services, he and Deputy City Manager Reid Wodicka briefed council during a unexpected closed session on Tuesday night and were up into the early hours of Wednesday morning at the emergency operations center until the situation was resolved, according to authorities, without incident.
“Was that anything I would ask for on my first city council meeting?” Benda asked. “No. But what was great to see was the team at work; they really shined.”
With a strong support system in place, Wodicka said he thought Benda did a very good job, and the situation went “as best as it possibly could go.”
Dolan agreed Benda was responsive and handled the situation well, praising the Lynchburg Police Department for ensuring the situation concluded “without anyone suffering.”
Benda said he prioritizes his relationship with public safety, and said health and safety are “tantamount to a good city.”
Wodicka stepped into the role of interim city manager last September and has been helping with the transition, keeping Benda briefed and up-to-speed as he settles into the role. So far, it’s gone smoothly, Wodicka said.
