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Conroe presents engineering department reorganization; staff says plan frees general fund dollars by moving positions to CIP
Summary
City staff presented a reorganization of the engineering department including new and repurposed positions (engineering manager, construction manager, acquisitions position) and said funding changes will transfer some positions to CIP to free general fund resources.
City administration and public works presented a reorganization and staffing plan for the city engineering department at the May 7 workshop that would add several positions, reassign duties, and change funding sources for specified posts.
What was proposed: deputy city manager Nancy McCheska and city staff said the plan keeps the department under Public Works but adds an engineering manager and a construction manager, two graduate engineers, and a senior engineering inspector. Staff also proposed repurposing an existing position into a property‑acquisition role dedicated to acquiring well sites, easements and right‑of‑way. The chart presented retains a city engineer position as a placeholder but leaves it unfilled until a candidate is identified.
Budget and funding: staff said the reorganization increases the department’s budgeted headcount but uses CIP funding for positions that directly support capital projects. McCheska and staff presented comparative numbers showing the reallocation would reduce the general‑fund salary burden by approximately $1.52 million by charging some positions to CIP, a shift the staff said reflected historic practice.
Why it matters: staff said the acquisition position will be central to the city’s aggressive well‑site program (cited elsewhere during the workshop as essential to resolving water capacity shortfalls). Councilmembers asked how the reorganization interacts with the moratorium and well construction timelines and whether the city should fill the city‑engineer slot before approving other moves; staff said the reorganization will be brought forward as an ordinance for approval at the next meeting.
Next steps: staff said the organizational chart and funding change would be presented for formal approval at the next council meeting; many of the new positions are dependent on CIP budgets and will require future hiring approvals and budget adjustments.
