Council to extend city engineer contract; staff say most of fee is budgeted and some reimbursable by developers

City staff told the council they will amend the budget to fund a six‑month extension of the city engineer contract with West Yost for $175,000, covering services through January 2026. Staff said roughly 30% of the contract — about $52,500 — is expected to be reimbursable by developers, leaving approximately $122,500 to be charged to city funds.

"This amount is $175,000 for the 6 months contract, but that'll get us all the way to January 2026," a staff member said. The same staff member told council the total annual budgeted amount for the city engineer was $345,000 and that the current six‑month amendment is already within planned budget authority.

Why it matters: the city engineer provides consultant staffing that supports capital projects and grant applications. Staff highlighted West Yost's role in securing grant funding: "having them on staff has got us $5,750,000 in grant money since 2021," a staff member said.

Council members asked staff to limit scope and coordinate project assignments so billable work aligns with city priorities. "Derek and I are really putting our heads together on ways to limit the scope," a councilmember said. Staff said they will continue performing the twice‑yearly scope updates and manage amendments through the usual budget process, noting the semiannual contract updates can surface high-cost projects for council review.

Discussion vs. action: staff described the budgeted amendment and discussed route to council for formal approval; the transcript does not record a formal vote on the amendment during this meeting. Staff said the expense is budgeted and will not require new funding.

Next steps: the contract amendment will be presented to council for approval at a future meeting; staff will track developer reimbursements and report back. The city will seek to manage scope to avoid unplanned spending and preserve grant-seeking results.