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Council approves 20 engineering positions amid debate over hire vs. contract strategy
Summary
Council voted to add 20 full‑time positions to the Engineering Services department to help deliver a growing capital program. Supporters said internal hires are more cost‑effective and needed to avoid delays; opponents urged broader use of contracted services and cautioned about sustaining permanent staff if project levels fall.
The City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance authorizing 20 new full‑time positions and associated equipment for the Engineering Services Department to accelerate delivery of the city's growing capital program.
Vote and outcome: Council approved the mid‑year staffing addition after debate over whether the work should be filled with city employees or handled through outside contract firms. The final action included an amendment clarifying the first‑year and recurring cost figures in the ordinance; the vote carried (motion and second; recorded as approved on the docket).
What was debated
Engineering Director Jeff Edmonds told council the department is managing roughly 100 active construction contracts with an outstanding unexecuted contract value the department characterized as about $600 million. He said the adopted capital program and recent bond approvals have increased construction throughput, and that the department's operating costs as a percentage of the CIP have recently fallen under targets—"we try to keep our cost at 6% of that sales"—creating some short‑term savings but also…
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