Board approves resolution to replace city engineer position with project manager; aldermen ask for job description before hire

The Board of Aldermen voted July 17 to adopt a resolution stating facts and reasons to remove the city engineer position and add a project manager position in fiscal year 2025 staffing, a step staff said will shift design work to third-party engineering firms and keep project management in-house.

City Administrator Devon Lake explained staffrecommends eliminating the city engineer role because the volume and specialization of engineering work makes a single full-time engineer unable to cover design across disciplines (traffic, wastewater, airport, parks and water). The proposed project manager would focus on contract administration, construction oversight and project management while the city uses on-call engineering firms for specialized design.

Public Works Director Jeff Fisher and other staff said the model is common in similar-size municipalities and would rely on a project manager reporting to public works. Fisher said staff would manage third-party engineers and control engineering costs where possible. Aldermen asked for a written job description, pay-grade justification and details on how existing on-call engineering agreements would be used; staff agreed to circulate a draft job description and to review existing consultant agreements.

The board passed Resolution 2025-20 (remove city engineer / add project manager) by roll call. Several aldermen said they support the change but requested the job description and pay-grade information before voting on the related ordinance to amend the FY2025 employee plan and budget (Bill 25-59). The board approved the billon first reading that same night; staff said they would provide the job description to aldermen ahead of second reading.