Resolution designating a City Engineer and authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute Engineering contracts.

Adoption of the attached resolution.

The Staff have been working to develop contracts for engineering services with both Bolton & Menk and I&S Group, Inc. (ISG). This memo will provide the parameters of the proposed agreements and seeks authorization for the City Manager to finalize the agreement language with both firms.

We have developed a framework for the new Engineering Program of work where we will have Bolton & Menk, Inc. handle planning and design of water, sanitary sewer, storm water, transportation systems, and provide general city engineering support as well as serve as our designated City Engineer. We will have I & S Group, Inc. handle planning and design of parks and recreation projects, vertical structures, and strategic initiatives. Both firms will have the ability to provide cross-support in the event of a conflict or capacity issues. The City retains the right to balance or reassign the work between the firms, but this is not a guarantee.
 
The State of MN requires a designated City Engineer for our State Aid program. As such, Bolton & Menk have designated Cory Bienfang, PE to serve as our designated City Engineer. Mr. Bienfang has been serving as an interim City Engineer for the past few months. The City will receive a minimum of 40 hours of services each week at the rate of $150 per hour for core services to include: 

• Attendance at Regularly and Special scheduled City Council meetings (as requested).
• Attendance at City Council Workshop Meetings (as requested).
• Attendance at Planning Commission Meetings (as requested).
• Attendance at Weekly Engineering Staff Meetings.
• Attendance at Biweekly Park CIP Meetings (as requested).
• Attendance at Monthly Site Plan Review Committee Meetings.
• Attendance at Weekly Public Works Supervisor Meetings.
• Attend regular and special committee meetings in support of State, Local, and Regional partners (e.g. Blue Earth County, MAPO, MnDOT Prescreening Board, etc.). Act as a liaison to outside organizations.
• Coordinate attendance at Monthly Wetland TEP Meeting.
• Attend monthly City Engineer coordination meetings for workload distribution, progress updates, and identification and prioritization of upcoming needs/conflicts.
• Assist and advise other City Departments and Divisions regarding engineering related needs.
• Administration of Municipal State Aid System and Certification.
• Assist others in the preparation and updating of the annual budget and preparation of the CIP (e.g. Surface, Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater).
• Attend Pre-Development Meetings (as requested).
• Coordinate and assign engineering support for Review/Comment/Approval of engineering aspects of development applications and permits.
• Coordinate and assign for resolution engineering related issues arising from development related construction.
• Participate in City-led community engagement activities (as requested).
• Provide timely information regarding ongoing engineering activities, related items of interest, and respond to emergencies.
• Provide leadership to others in reviewing and responding to 311 Customer Services Requests.
• Review and response to Customer Service inquiries are the responsibility of the Assistant City Engineer or other Consultant staff as assigned and supervised by City Engineer.

Outside the above list, the City will pay the hourly rates to Bolton & Menk and ISG for non-core services. The City has budgeted funds in the 2026 budget to accommodate the anticipated work. In addition, some of the engineering work is billed back to development projects and will continue in 2026. The list of non-core services includes:

• Project management and construction delivery;
• GIS, asset management, and record drawings;
• Pavement management and traffic analysis;
• Utility rate and capacity studies;
• State and federal compliance (e.g. MS4, NPDES)
• Grant and funding assistance for capital projects;
• Building structural design (shelters, maintenance, facilities, etc.)
• Trail systems, bridges, and recreational water features;
• Feasibility and conceptual design studies for community facilities;
• Public infrastructure (utilities, transportation, etc. related to an assigned project);
• Surveying and construction staking;
• Environmental review, permitting, and wetland delineation;
• Stormwater modeling and drainage reports;
• Public engagement and communication support;
• Response and review of customer/service inquiries as may be directed by staff;
• Grant writing and cost estimating;
• Construction administration and inspection;
• Easement preparation and platting;
• Developer coordination;
• Floodplain and hydrologic studies
• Plan and specifications standard updates
• Facility energy efficiency or sustainability projects
• ADA compliance reviews
• Emergency response or disaster recovery services

We would recommend a three-year term on the agreements with termination provisions to include for-cause provisions, as well as a 30-day written notice by the City. Each year, the proposed rates for non-core work would be reviewed.