By Allan Jamail
Houston, TX. – June 9, 2023 at the Golden Corral restaurant, city and state officials, family and friends gathered at a retirement luncheon in honor of Public Works Director (PWD) Kyle Reed for his 26 years of faithful service to the to the citizens of Jacinto City. The new PWD is Tommy Rogers; the NC Star will introduce him to the citizens in a future article.
Kyle oversaw the most vital department of the city. His outstanding leadership and supervisory skills in public works provided the community with the best of water, sewer, streets and flood protection services anyone could hope for in a city with a small budget.
You can do without most any department in the city by means of the cities Mutual Aid Program the city has with other cities, but not public works. Kyle kept the sanitary sewage treatment plant operating so citizens seldom had any problems. The same with the water department, he made sure the drinking water met county, state and federal safety requirements and made sure mosquito spraying was done often enough to prevent health problems.
As the founder of the Keep Jacinto City Clean Committee fifty years ago, Kyle and the committee and I worked on many health issues that he resolved promptly.
He worked under three city managers (Jo Ann Griggs, Jack Maner & Lon Squyres) and numerous changes of mayors and council members without skipping a beat. He had the ability to be flexible with the different managers which isn’t easy to do. But his dedication and sacrifices to the community made it possible.
City Manager Lon Squyres commented at the event on how he and Kyle worked together on several projects which benefited the city in the past 9 years. Squyres said he and Reed didn’t always agree on issues: “Kyle often would offer suggestions of projects which would benefit the city but I had to tell him, we couldn’t afford them.”
Mayor Ana Diaz and council members, Carmela Garcia, Allen Lee, Mario Gonzales, and Gregg Robinson all said how much they appreciated Reed’s service to the city and that he’d be sorely missed. Garcia said Kyle really was a big help to her when she was first elected and he took the time to educate me in PW’s. Former Mayor Mike Jackson dittoed Garcia.
Joyce Raines, City Secretary and Kathy Greiner, Assistant City Manager who worked with Reed made the following comment: “We have worked with Kyle for 26 years and anytime we needed anything all we had to do was call him and it was taken care of. He will definitely be missed.”
Chief of Police Joe Ayala told Kyle how much he appreciated him always being available to provide emergency traffic control devices and help his department with anything they needed. He told Kyle he will be missed and he invited Reed to come visit him at the police station anytime he wanted to.
Former Mayor’s Mike Jackson and Chris Diaz both said Kyle was helpful to them in providing the citizens with services to keep them satisfied.
Allan Jamail, former JC Councilman, Mayor, Chief of Police, Emergency Management Director and Volunteer Fireman said, “It would take too many words to express his feelings about Kyle’s service to the community. Kyle always put the citizen’s needs first and made them his upmost priority. His public works members of 26 years ago and still today is the live-blood of the city. We can’t do without our public works staff. He knew how to treat workers to where they got the job done and stayed many years under his tenure.”
Kyle Reed made the following statement to the NC Star:
I started with Jacinto City, in March of 97 and I am B certified in water works, B certified in Sewer treatment which is required certification by the TCEQ. Since my beginning with JC we have rehabilitated most all the sewer system by pipe burst method to cause minimal disruption in sewer services. This 7.5 million dollar project consisted of replacement of the main sewerage lift station on lane / mercury drive and replacing pumping units (4) at the sewerage treatment plant. We also have completed approximately 40% of the cities old water lines. These water line projects are primarily funded through grant money that is available to some parts of Jacinto City. We have completed most of the old lines on the south side of Market Street all the way to Holland Ave and are currently working on the north side of Market Street. Phase 2 is being constructed now and phase 3 will begin probably in September.
I started with JC in March of 97 and I am B certified in water works, B certified in Sewer treatment which is required certification by the TCEQ. Since my beginning with JC we have rehabilitated most all the sewer system by pipe burst method to cause minimal disruption in sewer services. This 7.5 million dollar project consisted of replacement of the main sewerage lift station on lane / mercury drive and replacing pumping units (4) at the sewerage treatment plant. We also have completed approximately 40% of the cities old water lines. These water line projects are primarily funded through grant money that is available to some parts of Jacinto City. We have completed most of the old lines on the south side of Market Street all the way to Holland Ave and are currently working on the north side of Market Street Phase 2 is being constructed now and phase 3 will begin probably in September.
The Ground storage tank was updated at this time as well. This allowed the new police station to be constructed at the same location as it has been for years!!
There is a 4.8 million project going on at the sewer plant facility’s that will consist of new primary screening and secondary screening at the head of the plant. The lift station piping will be upgraded to stainless steel due to the extreme corrosive environment. Aeration process was updated and new gates on all the treatment units are replaced. We will do away with gas chlorine and sulfur dioxide, to very hazardous chemicals and start using a much safer bleach compound and another much safer chemical to dechlorinate as is required by the EPA/TCEQ.
Linda Jamail provided the following resolution words describing Reed’s city service from Rep. Ana Hernandez.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Kyle Reed retired as director of public works for Jacinto City on May 31, 2023, drawing to a close an exemplary career with the city that spanned more than a quarter century; and WHEREAS, A graduate of Ross S. Sterling High School, Mr. Reed began his career with the Crosby Municipal Utility District in June 1986; he was first hired by Jacinto City on March 3, 1997, and during his 26-year tenure, he oversaw water and wastewater systems as well as the maintenance and repair of city buildings, streets, and drainage infrastructure; moreover, he worked closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and city engineering firms to achieve regulatory compliance; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Reed helped Jacinto City upgrade miles of water and wastewater pipes, lift stations, water storage facilities, and generators; he was also integral to recovery efforts in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison and Hurricanes Ike and Harvey; and
WHEREAS, through his dedication, professionalism, and commitment to excellence, Kyle Reed has greatly benefited the citizens of Jacinto City, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his achievements as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that Kyle Reed be congratulated on his retirement as director of public works for Jacinto City and that he be extended sincere best wishes for the future.