Fairview commissioners ask for hours, scope from Griggs & Maloney as engineering contract draws scrutiny

Commissioners at a Fairview budget workshop questioned whether the city should continue relying on a contracted engineering firm or move toward dedicated in‑house engineering staff.

Staff reported the city currently uses multiple Griggs & Maloney professionals and anticipates some additional contract engineering services in the coming year. Commissioners noted last year’s planning and engineering budget was about $275,000 and discussed a proposed figure near $315,000; staff said the amount may be lower but that the city values access to the firm’s broader spectrum of specialty expertise.

Several commissioners asked staff to provide monthly or weekly invoices showing hours and staff time the city receives from the firm so the board can compare that to the hypothetical cost of hiring full‑time engineers. One commissioner summarized the concern as a value‑for‑dollar question: whether the city is “spending full time money for part time labor.” Staff said it will assemble more detailed facts and recommended a workshop to review the tradeoffs between a multi‑specialty firm and in‑house engineering employees.

Why it matters: Contract engineering can provide access to niche specialties (traffic, stormwater, etc.) without hiring multiple full‑time staff, but commissioners said they want transparent usage data to evaluate cost effectiveness and continuity of knowledge about the city.

No formal action was taken at the workshop; staff agreed to prepare invoices and a focused session on the engineering staffing model.