MIDDLETOWN — The man who is charged with keeping water flowing and the streets clear of snow and ice in the city is leaving for Kettering later this month.

Public Works and Utilities Director David Duritsch submitted his letter of resignation last week after accepting the Public Service Director job for the city of Kettering. His last day with the city is March 25 and first day with Kettering is March 26, according to his letter of resignation and the city of Kettering.

Duritsch, 45, will end a 24-year tenure with the city of Middletown in 11 days, which started when he was an engineering co-op student at the Ohio State University in 1988. He was a co-op employee until he joined the city full-time in 1991.

When asked about his resignation, Duritsch referred to his letter of resignation dated March 8. In part, it reads: “I am excited for the opportunity to continue my professional development with yet another quality organization. I appreciate what the city has provided for me and my family over the years.”

Duritsch also wrote the people he’s worked with in the Public Works and Utilities Department “will be sorely missed.”

“I am especially proud of the men and women ... who continue to deliver exceptional service to the community while available resources continue to decline,” he wrote. “The successes we have achieved are a direct result of their dedication.”

City Manager Judy Gilleland said the job is “a great opportunity” and wish Duritsch “the best of luck.” The future of the position, however, will be evaluated, she said.

“With each vacancy comes opportunities and I will be taking the next month or two to assess those opportunities,” Gilleland said.

In the interim, Steve Husemann, the city’s part-time human resources director, will be the interim Public Works and Utilities director. Gilleland said this will all be done in a part-time capacity.

“It’s going to be a stretch for Steve and the organization, and which is why I would like to make a decision on the course of action in the next month or two,” Gilleland said.

The convergence of the Public Works and Utilities Department happened in March 2009 after former Public Works director Ginger Smith retired in March 2009.

“We were also experiencing budget reductions, so we reduced the department head county by one, and we consolidated Ginger’s department into David’s department, (the Public Utilities Department),” Gilleland said. “This move gave David a much more broad base of operations, and allowed him to gain skills in some areas that he had not had before — and saved the city money.”

Duritsch’s annual base salary with Middletown is $98,576.40. He is slated to earn an annual base salary of $107,120, about an 8.7 percent increase, when he starts at Kettering later this month.

“We are excited to have David as part of the city of Kettering team,” said Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman. “He has been a valuable and respected employee at the city of Middletown and we anticipate that he will do great things both for our Public Service Department and for our organization.”

While Duritsch is leaving the city as an employee, he plans to stay in Middletown as a resident, according to his resignation letter.

“My family and I will continue to live in the community that we call home,” Duritsch wrote. “Words cannot express my appreciation for the many friends that I have had the pleasure to work with over the years.