Engineering director seeks survey‑crew chief and plotter in FY2026 request; commissioners take request under advisement

The Norfolk County engineering director presented a fiscal 2026 request that is largely level‑funded except for two items: an increase to software subscriptions and a proposed new permanent position.

The director said the operating budget line for software and maintenance would rise from $20,000 to $23,000 to reflect higher subscription costs. Separately, he requested adding a permanent survey crew chief position at a maximum salary of $76,630, citing limited field and office capacity that reduces the department’s ability to take on work for towns and county projects. The director said adding that position would allow in‑house crews to maintain field productivity while keeping office work moving.

Capital needs: the director also listed a capital request, noting a plotter past its life cycle and estimating the cost at about $16,000–$17,000 if funds are available.

Commissioner questions and disposition: Commissioners pressed for justification and metrics to show workload increases and whether the new hire would increase productivity and volume of in‑house work. The director explained that when multiple senior staff must work in the field, office workflows stall; an additional crew chief would preserve both field and office throughput. A motion to take the engineering budget request under advisement was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Ending: The engineering department’s request will be reviewed further; commissioners asked the director to supply justification data on workload and town requests before a final decision.