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Council asked to approve Fishbeck contract as city seeks permanent utility engineer
Summary
Administration requested emergency ordinance to contract Fishbeck (Fishback/Fishbeck spelled in transcript) for utility engineering services while recruitment continues for a vacant senior utility engineer position.
The engineering department asked council on April 14 to authorize a continuing professional services agreement with Fishbeck (spelled variously in materials) to provide utility engineering support while the city continues to recruit a permanent senior utility/utility engineer.
Nut graf: Staff said hiring utility engineers is currently difficult across the region; the senior utility engineer slot has been vacant about a year and the RFQ used to select Fishbeck remains valid. The administration asked for emergency passage on the ordinance because the existing staff‑augmentation contract expires May 2, 2025.
Operational context and staffing: Director of Engineering said the position has been continuously advertised and that Fishbeck would provide on‑site support (staff augmentation) to cover utility design review, project management and other specialized tasks. Councilors said the contract cost will exceed the cost of a single in‑house hire but that the city’s need to deliver several CIP projects justifies an interim contract. Staff confirmed the contract is “not to exceed” a stated amount and that the city would terminate contractor services upon hiring an appropriate staff engineer.
Ending: Council asked staff to pursue continued recruitment and to present the Fishbeck contract on the next council agenda with emergency and consent considerations.
