City engineer warns of heavy project pipeline; assistant engineer hire funded to expand in‑house capacity
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Summary
New city engineer Alex (last name not stated) told the Finance Committee that the engineering office is managing an expanding project pipeline worth tens of millions of dollars and that the budget includes funding for an assistant/civil engineer hire to build in‑house capacity and avoid higher consulting costs.
Alex (presented as City Engineer) told the Finance Committee on May 28 that the engineering department is managing a rapidly growing project portfolio and has funded an entry‑level Civil Engineer 1 position to expand in‑house capacity.
Alex outlined recent and planned projects completed or advanced in house, including a water‑main job design (nearly $1 million in design work), a roughly $2 million paving program, Horn Pond Complete Streets pedestrian work (about $215,000), and a larger list of top projects — Horn Pond Water Treatment Plant, New Boston Street Bridge, North Wilburn trunk sewer and downtown traffic improvements — each estimated in the $20–25 million range and requiring consultant support alongside in‑house management. He estimated total project management volume in the coming year between $75 million and $100 million.
To handle workload, the department retooled hiring to create Civil Engineer 1 and Civil Engineer 2 classifications (0–5 years and 5–10 years of experience) and reported an applicant accepting a July start for an entry‑level role. Alex requested a modest increase in consulting to provide a safety net where in‑house capacity is temporarily limited.
Councilors praised the engineering team's in‑house work for saving the city money and urged continued staff growth where warranted. Alex said moving next door (office relocation) may help attract candidates. No formal council action occurred during the presentation.