City's utilities director resigns

By CHRISTINA HEADRICK

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 21, 2000

CLEARWATER -- The city's utilities director has resigned a week after drawing criticism for piping drinking water into the reclaimed-water system and failing to immediately tell residents and his boss about it.

Kevin Becotte, who had been with the city for two years and made $73,099 annually, submitted his resignation Thursday, a day after meeting with interim City Manager Bill Horne to discuss the controversy.

Horne said that he was considering whether Becotte should continue working for the city when Becotte resigned of his own choice.

"I think our conversation allowed him to go back and reflect on everything," Horne said. "I don't think this is the first time that Kevin has thought about this issue of fitting in."

Stating he was resigning for "personal reasons," Becotte declined to elaborate Monday. His resignation will be effective Dec. 1.

Under Becotte, the city worked to expand its young reclaimed-water system to Island Estates and Clearwater Beach and, eventually, throughout the city.

But Becotte sometimes exhibited an independent style that caused conflict with his boss, the city's public works administrator, and other senior managers, Horne said.

The reclaimed-water dispute was the latest issue, Horne said, in which city administrators thought there should have been more discussion with administrators before action was taken.

The move to pump drinking water into the reclaimed-water system violated the city's drinking water use permit issued by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, according to the agency, better known as Swiftmud.

The city didn't tell its reclaimed-water customers to limit their use of the drinking water according to existing water restrictions.

Swiftmud since has sent the city a letter bringing the errors to Clearwater's attention and asking the city for a plan to prevent future mistakes. Problems such as high bacteria counts caused the interruption in service in late October.

Horne asked Becotte to tell commissioners about the mistake at last week's workshop. After Becotte spoke, Horne felt he had to reiterate that the city goofed, Horne said.

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