As I entered into this election, I decided the best way to find out what was happening in our fair city was to visit with folks who make the city work. I learned in all my years of working, the best people to visit with were the ones in the trenches, not the managers and bosses. When I worked in retail, we would spend days cleaning the store to prepare for the higher ups coming to visit. Why didn’t we just keep it that way all the time instead of just at crunch time? Well, it’s certainly crunch time in Odessa.
I was fortunate enough to sneak in a few visits with different city departments before the City Manager, John Beckmeyer, figured out what I was doing. Like any good Scooby Doo villain, he certainly has accused me of meddling and generally being up to no good. Well John, what are you trying to hide?
When it came time to visit the water treatment plant, a hot bed of hurt feelings and misdirection, I was told I would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. After I made the NDA public, Mr. Beckmeyer pulled me aside at an event and explained to me why I had to sign one. The problem was his “why” didn’t match Councilman Matta’s “why”, who, for some strange reason, decided to join this conversation, and neither of their “whys” matched what I was told by the city attorney, Dan Jones. I was the first to have to sign a non-disclosure agreement either for my safety, which was Beckmeyer’s “why”, to protect the software, which was Matta’s “why”, or who knows why, Beckmeyer just thought it would be a fun thing to do, which was Jones’ “why”.
Or maybe it was Kevin Niles’ idea before he left, yeah, let’s throw the former guy under the bus. It really doesn’t matter why. I was told I had to sign one, so I did. What mattered is that they weren’t all singing off the same page in the hymnal, and it made all of them look deceitful.
None of that changes the fact that I was the first one who had to sign an NDA to enter a public building that Swanner, Matta, and Joven are using as a campaign tool and openly being deceitful about the progress of the construction. I shared on Facebook that I don’t even think anybody really cares how far along the progress is, as long as it’s being done, and anybody who drives by the plant, can see that it is under construction. But to gain political brownie points, they’re telling the public the very thing they are most mad about, water, is just about done! Hooray for us! Unfortunately, several of us remember the Squad was involved in trying to delay the project funding and now they turn around and take credit. Interesting indeed. By the way, the plant on Golder is 60% complete, not 90%. A bit of a hard truth right there.
As I continued my visiting tour around the city, I learned more and more, and most of it was not terrible. I had one ride along with the Odessa Police Department that went well, but when someone caught wind that I was with a rookie I was invited back to ride along with someone who had more experience. I’ve since learned that officers on duty that evening were warned to watch their mouths around me and others were punished for even helping me get the ride scheduled. What I find fascinating is the issues I could identify as glaring problems were not necessarily problems originating with OPD.
For the most part the officers I met with were happy with leadership, but perhaps they were unhappy with equipment or policies. Policies that OPD had no control over, so we’ll have to visit with our friend Rep. Brooks Landgraf about those. Anyway, I was not completely surprised to learn that Chief Gerke has an excellent group of officers. I have always respected the way he has run the department. I was however, surprised to learn that I was the first city council candidate to ever do a ride along. Even the sitting council members have not been on a ride along. That definitely followed a pattern.
Each department I visited I was greeted with excitement that nobody ever comes and visits us, or nobody has ever been here before. Odessa Fire and Rescue was the exception, because Swanner, Matta, and Joven have made it very well known that they love the fire department. I just don’t understand how OFR gets to an emergency without dispatch answering first, or how they put out a fire without water or secure the scene at a wreck to rescue hurt people without OPD. From top to bottom the city is a team. It must function like a team. As best I can tell, right now our team is pretty defeated. Sure, the quarterback (OFR) is still the most popular kid in school, but the rest of the team is getting a little tired of carrying the rest of the weight.
I have no doubts that Mr. Beckmeyer is a very nice person. He has always been fairly nice to me. Even now, when my requests to visit other departments are ignored until the second follow up and delayed past the election, he has been accommodating in his incredibly delinquent replies. I have a litmus test and unfortunately, he does not pass. If you are willing to treat me with such disregard, someone who is willing to be interested and invest their time into learning about the city, then how are you treating those who aren’t? Either way, I am disappointed that I will not be allowed to visit the waste treatment plant, due to safety concerns, or that I will not be able to visit the water distribution department until well after the election. By all accounts the wastewater plant is crumbling around the staff, and we certainly wouldn’t want word of that to get out. If it’s not safe enough for me to visit, then why not have more urgency to make it safe for the staff? No wonder they don’t want my prying eyes in there.
All that to say, I am very disappointed that the city has closed its doors in my face. This is more of the propaganda machine at work. The reports from my visits are not necessarily glowing reviews, but they certainly have been highly complementary of each and every member of the day-to-day staff who have kept this city running 24 hours a day 7 days a week, no matter who was in charge at city hall. The men and women who run Odessa are dedicated to the mission and I cannot compliment them enough for holding it all together with the meager tools they’ve been given, sometimes only zip ties, duct tape, and miracles!
I also understand that the departments are severely understaffed and have been busy, what with the fake campaign parades and well-timed groundbreaking ceremonies, on top of the continuing water main breaks and trash disaster. After all, the incumbents have it made. They are afforded the bully pulpit, and then, of course there are the donations to their supporting PACs totaling well over $200,000. It’s good to be the king! Meanwhile I’ve been expected to sit in my corner and just take all the lies and garbage that have been thrown at me daily with my head held high, rising above. Well, I think I have done a pretty good job holding up my end of the bargain. Swanner, Matta, and Joven? Not so much, but after all, as long as they keep their benevolent benefactors happy, it’s all good, fair campaign pledges be damned.
I hope the community trusts me to serve as their council member at large and to continue working in the trenches with the city staff to make their jobs easier, better, more productive, or whatever word you want to attach to it, but in the end I want each and every staff member and resident of the City of Odessa to be proud to say they are from Odessa. It’s been a long four years, and we’re all tired. It’s time to clean up Odessa and I want to start at City Hall!
Craig Stoker
Odessa
