Council requests deeper analysis of cost to move planning, building and engineering in‑house; staff to return with expanded data

City staff and Human Resources presented a preliminary compensation analysis Sept. 2 for adding full‑time personnel in planning, building and engineering. The HR summary used a five‑step salary schedule and showed an estimated annualized cost (step A) of roughly $783,003 for five positions: building inspector, city engineer, city planner, permit technician and senior administrative analyst. HR provided example line items (salary, health benefits, PERS, FICA, unemployment, workers’ comp) that produce the total annual cost at entry‑level steps.

Several council members said the city needs more comparative data before deciding whether to transition work from outside consultants to in‑house staff. Councilmember Uphaul (who requested the analysis) and others recommended a larger sample of historical invoice and workload data so the council can compare average consultant hours and costs against hypothetical in‑house staffing models across peaks and valleys in development activity.

City management and HR said the analysis will be expanded to include: (1) seven fiscal years of consultant invoices and hours for planning and engineering, (2) comparative hourly cost analyses for hybrid models, (3) estimates of necessary specialty engineering services that would remain contracted even with an in‑house team, and (4) assumptions about recruitment, IT and workspace costs. Staff proposed returning to council with the expanded analysis at the second council meeting in October.