Limited Term Engineering Technician Position Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 9.
ITEM TITLE: Limited Term Engineering Technician Position
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval to create one limited term (duration
two years) Engineering Technician position in the Engineering
Department.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
❑ Engineering Technician Limited Term Position-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
❑ Staff Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBE I
erica .i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Engineering Technician Limited Term Position
DATE: July 14, 2015
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos recommends City Council approval to create one limited
term (duration two years) Engineering Technician position in the Engineering
Department.
The engineering department is currently experiencing an increase in construction
engineering (inspection) needs with the start of the Granger Creek sewer extension, the
30" Force Main Project, Upper Bee Branch Project and concurrent Consent Decree
construction activities. The increase in demand for construction inspection presents an
opportunity for a limited term Engineering Technician to assist the City with these key
projects. The Engineering Technician role will also free up time for current engineering
technicians to continue with in-house design of various projects including the 11th
Street parking lot, Heeb Street Utility Improvements, and Auburn and Custer Sanitary
Sewer Improvements, resulting in 8 - 10% of total construction cost savings. Retaining
an Engineering Technician to conduct the inspection activities will result in an estimated
savings of $180,000, after the salary recharge. The expense is included in the project
budgets.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Micliael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
THE CIji&l
OF DubuqueDE ;I AmadcaC i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 200- 2012-1013
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
E
DATE: July 13, 2015
RE: Engineering Technician Limited Term Position
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to create one limited term
Engineering Technician position in the Engineering Department.
DISCUSSION
The engineering department is currently experiencing an increase in construction
engineering (inspection) needs with the start of the Granger Creek sewer extension, the
30" Force Main Project, Upper Bee Branch Project and concurrent Consent Decree
construction activities. The increase in demand for construction inspection presents an
opportunity for a limited term Engineering Technician to assist the City with these key
projects. The Engineering Technician role will also free up time for current engineering
technicians to continue with in-house design of various projects including the 11th Street
parking lot, Heeb Street Utility Improvements, and Auburn and Custer Sanitary Sewer
Improvements, resulting in 8 -- 100/0 of total construction cost savings.
Hiring a limited term Engineering Technician in the department will result in cost savings
to several projects. The following table summarizes the estimated savings for Year 1
and 2 (Est. Total of 4,160 hours), a portion of which will be used to recharge time.
Current Projected
Inspection Est. proposed Current Proposed Savings
Inspection Design Design
CIP Project Name Expense(Site (Current Est. Hrs.
Observation Est. Expense Expense Expense(In- minus
Only) (Consultant) (Consultant) House) Proposed)
Granger Creek 285
7102409 Sewer $136,160 $114,785 NA NA $21,375
Extension
7102403 30" Force Main $43,400 $5,000 NA NA $38,400 510
Reloc. Project
11 th & 12th
3602250 Street Parking NA* NA* $20,000 $10,000 $10,000 135
Lot
3602250 White St. NA* NA* $20,000 $10,000 $10,000 135
Parking Lot
San. Swr
7101335 Replacement NA* NA* $25,000 $10,000 $15,000 200
Project
7102547 Washington St. $20,000 $0.00 NA NA $20,000 265
San. Swr.
General
7101289 Sanitary $20,000 $0.00 NA NA $20,000 265
Repairs
7101638 Heeb Street NA* NA* $20,000 $10,000 $10,000 135
Utility Improv.
Auburn&
7102571 Custer San. NA* NA* $20,000 $10,000 $10,000 135
Swr Improv.
Consent
7101294 Decree NA* NA* $60,000 $20,000 $40,000 535
rehabilitation
ro'ects
Bee Branch
34001654 General $1,000,000** $883,000** NA NA $117,000** 1560
Ins ection**
Estimated $219,560** $119,785** $165,000 $70,000 $314,775 4160
Totals
* L I
Inspection is originally scheduled to be performed by In-House staff. Cost savings
result from the availability of staff to perform in-house design with the addition of an
Engineering Technician to perform inspections on various projects.
** Bee Branch General Inspection assumes an estimated 1,560 hours over a two
period at a consultant estimated rate of$75/hr. The total estimated inspection needs
and costs associated with each phased portion of the project are variable and include
both in-house inspection using existing personnel and outside consultants as
necessary, therefore only the total estimated savings is shown.
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BUDGETIMPACT
The base expenses for the Engineering Technician Limited Term Position are as
follows:
Year 1
FY2016 Gross Wages $22.64/hr x 2080 hrs $ 47,091.20
Social Security and IPERS $47,091.20 x 7.65% $ 3,602.48
Health Insurance Premiums $1 ,040.00 x 12 months $ 12,480.00
$ 63,173.68
Year 2 would be the same plus any approved step increases or insurance adjustments.
Retaining an Engineering Technician to conduct the inspection activities listed will result
in an estimated savings of $180,000 to the various CIPs, after the salary recharge.
REQUESTED ACTION
I respectfully request the City Council to approve a motion to create one limited term
(duration of two years) Engineering Technician position in the Engineering Department.
cc: Randy Peck, Personnel Manager
Steve Sampson Brown, Project Manager
Denise Ihrig, Environmental Engineer
Todd Irwin, Engineering Technician
Lynn Schlueter, Confidential Acct. Clerk
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