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County board warns of gap in engineer authority as interim engineer’s last day arrives
Summary
Board members discussed an immediate need to appoint an acting or interim county engineer to preserve authorities to close roads, sign special permits and execute other duties designated in prior resolutions; no formal appointment was made at the meeting.
County Board of Supervisors members said they have no interim county engineer in place after the current interim’s last day, and they urged a rapid appointment so the county retains statutory authorities to close roads, issue special permits and execute construction certifications.
Board member (unnamed) told colleagues that the county lacks anyone who can “issue proclamations or close those roads” in the event of flooding or other emergency, and urged the board to arrange a special meeting so an acting or interim engineer can be authorized before the end of the business day.
The short-term gap matters because three resolutions the board approved on Jan. 2 authorize engineers or named individuals to perform specific tasks: closing roads for construction or emergencies, executing certificates of completion for farm-to-market contracts and issuing special permits for vehicles of excessive size and weight. Staff noted that one of the resolutions named four specific employees and that only one of those people remains employed, which limits who can act under that document without amendment.
County legal staff and other attendees advised that an acting or interim appointee who is a licensed civil engineer could exercise the engineer-specific authorities. A staff member said several tasks legally require an engineer’s signature and that language in the existing resolutions could be revised to consistently authorize “engineer, assistant engineer, interim engineer or acting engineer” rather than listing names.
Board members discussed options for filling the gap: hiring a consultant, contracting with a neighboring county’s engineer, or appointing an engineer from a private firm. Several members volunteered to call neighboring counties and engineering contacts to find someone willing to serve on short notice; one board member suggested Montgomery County as a potential source. No formal motion to appoint an interim engineer was taken at the meeting.
Board members said timely action is important because heavy rainfall and flooding can require immediate closures and official actions; one member referenced a recent four-inch rainfall event elsewhere as an example. Staff said some permit workflows are online but that signed authorization is still lacking without an authorized engineer.
The board directed members and staff to seek candidates and legal review and to consider convening a special meeting to make an appointment if a candidate is available quickly. No appointment, amendment to resolutions or vote was recorded at this meeting.
Looking forward, staff said they can assist with revising resolution language to avoid future name-specific authorization problems and recommended appointing a licensed civil engineer in an acting or interim capacity until a permanent hire is made.
