Discuss Adding New Engineering Technician II Position

In 2022, the City Council approved bonding for $12M to increase funding for the City’s Pavement Management Program (PMP) and directed staff to spend as much of the increased funding as possible up front.  Staff then worked to revise the 10-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) by adding PMP projects, especially in the first several years.  This influx of funding will result in the City reconstructing or overlaying over 44-percent of City streets over the next 10 years.
 
Engineering staff typically design and prepare plans and specifications for all PMP projects within the 10-year CIP.  To support Engineering staff in continuing to design PMP projects, the City Council recently approved reclassifying the Engineering Technician II that was inspecting construction of PMP projects and public infrastructure being constructed as part of private developments to an Engineering Technician III so they could begin working full-time on preparing plans and specifications for PMP projects.  The City Council then approved back filling the open Engineering Technician II position to maintain two full-time construction inspectors.  However, in recent years the two construction inspectors were having a difficult time managing all of their duties, which includes inspections of public infrastructure within a private development.  With the increase in PMP funding additional construction inspectors will be needed moving forward to allow staff to adequately inspect construction in the field.
 
City Staff has therefore been exploring options for providing adequate construction inspection services for the additional PMP projects added to the CIP.  Available options include hiring a new Engineering Technician II to inspect construction, or hiring consultants to inspect construction.  Based on the various duties assigned to the Engineering Technician II positions and the additional funding dedicated to PMP projects over the next 10 years, Staff feels ample work exists to hire a full-time Engineering Technician II.  Even with the need to purchase a new work truck for this position, it will be more cost-effective for the City to hire this new position than it would be hire consultants to inspect construction of PMP projects moving forward.
 
While working through the process of hiring the replacement Engineering Technician II, staff interviewed three strong candidates.  If council approves of moving forward with hiring a new Engineering Technician II, staff will reach out to the previous two applicants to see if either is still interested in working for the City of Ramsey.  If one of these candidates were interested, staff would forego the formal hiring process.  If Staff needs to advertise the position and conduct a full hiring process it is anticipated that the position could be filled as soon as May 1, 2023, which would still work well with the projected start dates for several 2023 PMP projects, as well as the anticipated construction schedules for private development within the City.

Below is a table of estimated annual costs for hiring, equipping and training a new Engineering Technician II, which includes an initial purchase and buildout of a half-ton pickup truck.  If desired, staff could explore purchasing a used pickup instead and adding a capital equipment purchase request to the CIP for 2024 or later.  Within the 2023 approved budget, there is already an identified cost savings due to the replacement Engineering Technician II position being budgeted for the full year but not actually starting until March.  Estimated saving from that position is approximately $10,000.
 

Estimated annual costs for new Engr. Tech. II - May 1 hire assumed
2023 only
Regular salary (8 months)	$54,666.67
OT costs (8 months)	$4,466.67
New 1/2 ton pickup w/ accessories (one-time cost)	$53,000.00
Computer and phone	$1,500.00
Misc. equipment	$1,000.00
Training	$3,000.00
Total	$117,633.33
2024 and later
Regular Salary (full year)	$86,000.00
OT	$7,100.00
Training	$1,400.00
Total	$94,500.00
Annual Offsetting Costs
Cancel two Engineering Interns	$33,000.00
Hire PMP Consultant Inspectors (1,000 hours)	$125,000.00
Hire Private Dev Consultant Inspectors (500 hours)	$62,500.00
One-Time Offsetting Cost
Hire SEH Inspector for WTP Trunk WM (per Agrmnt)	$84,084.00

Brian Hagen, City Administrator
Bruce Westby, City Engineer/Public Works Director
Colleen Lasher, Administrative Services Director
 

Provide consensus whether staff should proceed with the recruitment of a new Engineer Technician II position.