The City of Odessa is losing another department head.
Utilities Director Tom Kerr announced Sept. 7 he is retiring effective Sept. 21.
The news comes just two months after the city hired Kevin Niles to assume half of Kerr’s job responsibilities and seven months after he quit in the middle of a city council work session only to immediately change his mind.
Kerr told new City Manager John Beckmeyer he was proud to have been a part of many successes, but improvements must continue on Odessa’s roadways, water and sewer infrastructure, some of them “more daunting than those we have faced.”
“I would love to remain to be a part of solutions for this fabulous community, but I believe this future may be for others to passionately pursue,” Kerr wrote in his retirement letter.
City records show Kerr was hired by the City of Odessa in February 2013 as the director of utilities and he took on the secondary role of director of public works in November 2014.
On July 5, Niles took on the responsibilities of public works director.
At the time, Kerr, Interim City Manager Agapito Bernal and Communications Director Monica McDaniel did not respond to the OA’s emails seeking comment.
In an email, the city’s public information coordinator, Jennifer Reynier, stated the following: “I have located zero emails regarding Mr. Kerr and his change in job status, behavior, job performance, work ethic, or any other HR issue.”
Kerr is the latest in a long line of high level officials to leave since City Manager Michael Marrero was fired in December 2022.
They include:
- Assistant City Manager Cindy Muncy
- Finance Director Larry Fry
- Parks and Recreation Director Steve Patton
- Fire Chief John Alvarez
- Director of Development Randy Brinlee
- Traffic Chief Hal Feldman
- Budget Manager Zackary Besiril
- Wastewater Operations Melissa Looney
- Equipment Services Director Eddie Molinar
Two assistant fire chiefs also left and the city has also lost the vast majority of its seven staff attorneys.
Another assistant city manager, Aaron Smith, was fired in March. He has since filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city.
While many of the positions have been filled, there have been no public discussions as to whether anyone will be stepping into the assistant city manager positions and they’ve not been posted.
The city is currently advertising for Fry and Looney’s positions, along with two attorney positions.
Records show Kerr has “exceeded expectations” on his annual reviews. In September 2021, former Assistant City Manager Phillip Urrutia noted Kerr’s leadership had “excelled” despite COVID-19 and during a time when the city had issued certificates of obligation.
Kerr made headlines when he abruptly announced his resignation during the middle of a city council work session in late February citing stress. He later withdrew his resignation.
Kerr’s outburst came in the middle of a discussion over his proposed list of future roadway projects that he and his staff had prioritized. His first list consists of 23 reconstruction projects with a project price tag of more than $91 million.
The city’s annual roads budget is about $6 million.
In his retirement letter, Kerr said he was “extremely grateful” to have worked with tremendous staff, councils and administrations over the years. He listed 18 successful ventures over the years, including a guaranteed $100 million revenue contract with Pioneer Water Management, the planning, design and construction of $95 million in improvements to the water treatment plant, the widening of University Boulevard and Faudree Road, downtown improvement projects and millions of dollars in improvements on water and sewer lines.
Kerr said he couldn’t express enough amazement about how everyone — city management, police and fire, the state, Midland, McKinney and local vendors — came together in June 2022 when the 24” waterline failed on 42nd Street and left Odessans without drinkable water for nearly a week.
“Most of all, I apologize and thank the citizens for their ability to work with us through that event,” he said.
He closed his letter by thanking Beckmeyer for the opportunity to serve the city.
