Aldermen ask Mayor Tom Barrett to answer questions about lead scandal Wednesday

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Council President Ashanti Hamilton is asking Mayor Tom Barrett to appear before a special meeting of the council's Steering and Rules committee on Wednesday afternoon to answer questions about his administration's botched response to blood-lead levels in children.

However, the 1:30 p.m. meeting is scheduled to remain behind closed doors and will be off-limits to the public, a Hamilton aide told FOX6.

The city's health department is supposed to send letters to the families of all children who test high for lead.

But Barrett on Friday admitted that his administration did not know how many letters it had actually sent out in the years 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Health Commissioner Bevan Baker resigned under pressure late last week, and Barrett blamed his health department for the issue.

Aldermen vowed that the issue would mark a "new day" in how they held the administration accountable, and several have since made critical statements about Barrett's response to the lead issue.

Meanwhile, Mayor Barrett's office released this statement to FOX6 News: