What this means
The engineering department will now have new positions, including: engineering manager, construction manager, graduate engineers and senior engineering inspector, Deputy City Administrator Nancy Mikeska said during the May 7 workshop meeting.
Positions like construction manager will help with overseeing the construction site of Fire Station No. 8 and help with developments like the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center, Mikeska said.
Mikeska said other positions will also be reclassified, such as a property acquisition specialist, which was previously classified as an engineering aid role.
“You heard that we were having a very difficult time acquiring these well sites and other easements that we need, this [property acquisition specialist] ... will be dedicated to that, and it is a position that we already have, so we are just redesigning that,” Mikeska said.
The development coordinator role will be changed to senior project engineer, while other engineering aid positions will be reclassified to technicians and project specialists.
Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, will oversee Brandy Taylor, who will be acting as the engineering manager, the construction manager and the senior engineering inspector, positions which are currently open, according to the presentation.
The other open positions include two graduate engineers and a senior project engineer, which will be managed by the city engineer, Mikeska said.
Mikeska said the city is still searching for a city engineer after the previous city engineer was terminated.
“We are waiting until we find an absolute killer city engineer,” Mikeska said. “When we find that person, we will bring that back for your consideration as well.”
Mikeska said the addition of the new positions and restructuring will change the upcoming fiscal year's budget. She said the engineering department's budget for FY 2024-25 amounted to $2.3 million and will change to a proposed $3.5 million for FY 2025-26.
The increase in salaries will be paid for by the capital improvement program fund, saving $1.5 million from the general fund budget, Mikeska said.
