Departures lead to city staff shake-up

According to a memo from City Manager Marc Ott, changes precipitated by the departures of Deputy City Manager Michael McDonald, Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith and Government Relations Officer John Hrncir are coming. They include a shift of reports among Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano — set to pick up Public Safety duties — Anthony Snipes and the Manager’s Chief of Staff Ray Baray. Chris Noble will step in as the interim chief animal services officer, and City Attorney Karen Kennard — a Texas Municipal League vet — will take the lead role on the City’s Governmental Relations team heading into the 2015 legislative session. In the memo, Ott classified the shift as a “transition plan” to ensure business continuity. He indicated that a longer-term staffing plan is under evaluation.