It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for the Odessa Development Corporation, but board members said they are determined to move forward with their mission beginning Tuesday when they elect a new president and vice president and discuss their budget.
Within the last month, the majority of the city council voted to oust ODC President Kris Crow and Vice President Jeff Russell after accusing them of throwing up roadblocks that would prevent the city from accessing more than $80 million in sales tax money that is sitting in the ODC’s coffers and they argue could be used to improve the city’s failing infrastructure.
Mayor Javier Joven accused Crow of preventing anyone from talking to ODC attorney Jeff Moore. Russell has defended Crow’s actions, stating every time Moore spoke with anyone other than himself or Crow, it bred “this nest of confusion.”
Joven also accused Crow and Russell of maneuvering behind the scenes and “treating the ODC as their personal political and economic organization.”
Joven said they met with potential recipients of ODC funding without the knowledge of the other ODC board members and gave instructions to an ODC attorney without the knowledge of other ODC board members or the city council.
Crow and Russell contend the city council wants to “illegally reallocate” money and they were roadblocks to be removed. In a press release sent out last week, the pair said they were working on behalf of Odessans to find ways for the city to address the city’s infrastructure by legal means.
Russell and Crow said the ODC had planned to re-allocate $18 million originally intended for the Nacero natural gas project to the city’s water infrastructure.
Board member Melanie Hollman said she’s saddened by what’s been happening lately.
“I’ve been really proud of ODC’s successful projects and what it can do to further our reason for existence, which is to incentivize capital investment in our area and increase the tax base in that way. From time to time, board members will disagree on the best way to achieve those goals,” Hollmann said. “But I’ve been disheartened at what has seemingly become personal attacks and personal ugliness. I think it’s disheartening, and I think it’s distracting from our purpose and the good things that the ODC is able to do.”
She hopes the board will be able to disregard any distractions in the future.
“I think that it would be for the best if we as a board and as an organization, would just really focus our attention on our mission and what we have been appointed to do, continue the work of adding good jobs to the area, assisting where we can with infrastructure, and hopefully incentivizing really good corporate citizens to make investment in the city of Odessa,” Hollman said. “I think that what ODC does is important, and I hope very much that we can move forward and focus our attention on the mission.”
Board member David Boutin agreed.
“I’m confident that we have enough skill set at the board level to continue to focus on economic development like we need to and to be able to continue to grow jobs and grow the capital investment, have some positive impact on workforce and whatnot,” Boutin said. “I guess this is my nature, but when there are challenges in front of you, I just want to get focused on what’s the mission and what’s the best way to accomplish the mission. That’s what I stay focused on. I don’t think it’s productive for me to focus on anything other than that.”
Board member Jay Kirk said he believes the board will be able to move forward with no further communication issues with the city council.
What’s at the heart of the disagreements of late is the different interpretations of Section 501.103 of the Texas Local Government Code.
Hollmann and Boutin said they can’t recall any board discussions about redirecting Nacero money, but they do know the ODC board has discussed providing the city $30 million for infrastructure.
They don’t know if Crow and Russell met with Moore without them.
Boutin said he doesn’t think the ODC board has had a “good, substantive discussion” about 501.103, although Moore went over the statute during a board retreat earlier this year and during a meeting earlier this month with city staff.
The only other time he’s interacted with Moore was when Moore was being interviewed for the job, Boutin said.
“Regarding the dispute, ‘The attorney said this’ and somebody else saying ‘No, the attorney said this,’ I wasn’t involved in any of that,” Boutin said.
In his opinion, that $30 million could be used for road projects, not water infrastructure, Boutin said.
“I think the road projects are probably going to be the easiest to identify as being eligible, and probably, you know, from an economic development standpoint, we’re probably going to get the biggest bang for our buck with regard to accommodating new businesses, expanding businesses, relocating businesses and whatnot, which is obviously part of the economic development objective,” Boutin said.
If Odessa grows the way it’s been predicted, businesses are going to expand and need more employees, Boutin said. That means roads will need to be extended.
“Our road infrastructure, in my opinion, is not adequate now, so it’s even going to be more inadequate in the future.”
Maybe by using the $30 million for roads, the city will have enough money to be able to focus on other infrastructure needs, Boutin said.
In her opinion, Hollmann said whether sales tax money can be used for infrastructure will “boil down to the facts of each project” and will require discussions with Moore and the rest of the board.
Crow and Russell allege that when they tried to talk about Moore’s interpretation of 501.103 during a June ODC meeting, City Manager John Beckmeyer cut them off.
“The motive behind Beckmeyer’s intervention has now become clear: the council’s intention is to funnel the bulk of ODC reserves into new development projects in Midland County,” the men wrote. “These projects would be in addition to over $10 million in grants already approved supporting the ICA project, which will feature a Bass Pro Shop, and the Parks Bell project, aimed at constructing a new industrial park.”
Boutin noted that part of Odessa is in Midland County and that part is growing organically.
“We’ve never had any effort to to try to push one area of town or another with regard to expanding or relocating businesses or any of that commercial development,” Boutin said.
Businesses are looking for areas that fit their business needs, he said.
“There’s been some (projects) that have been in Midland County, but in the City of Odessa. I’ve never had any heartburn over that, because those employees typically are going to live in Odessa and the city’s going to and the community is going to benefit by those expanding businesses and whatnot. A lot of those dollars are going to be spent in the community. So I don’t really have much of an issue with that,” Boutin said.
Hollmann agreed.
“I don’t think that we can afford to ignore growth opportunities anywhere, whether it’s in Ector County or in the portion of the city of Odessa that’s in Midland County,” Hollmann said. “All growth is important and in every area we need increased infrastructure. We need increased service for our citizens throughout the city as well as the county of Ector.”
Board member Larry Robinson could not be reached. Board member Tim Harry said any statements he makes would have to come through city spokeswoman Monica McDaniel.
