SUBJECT:
Title
Request Approval of the Following Changes To Be Made of the FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget: Reclassification of One (1) Deputy County Engineer Position, Eight (8) Engineer Positions, Three (3) OCE Engineering Project Manager Positions, One (1) Traffic Operations Manager Position, One (1) Transportation Engineer Position, One (1) Utilities Engineering Manager Position, One (1) Assistant County Engineer - Road Maintenance Position, One (1) County Surveyor Position, One (1) Stormwater Engineer Position, and One (1) Utilities Deputy Director Position within the Office of County Engineer and Utilities Department (Budget Impact - Expenditure of $50,768 in ZF440536, $62,301 in BL400541 and a Savings of $32,529 in EK430538)
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INITIATOR: |
DEPARTMENT: |
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Sara Caron, Director |
Human Resources |
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND:
Over the past year, several engineering roles within the Utilities Department have remained open, forcing reliance on external consultants or third-party providers-often at costs two to three times higher than doing the work in-house. Staff engineers, by contrast, minimize these expenses by managing design, project oversight, reviews, troubleshooting, and regulatory compliance internally. This approach not only retains technical expertise within the department but also guarantees that outside assistance is utilized only when essential.
Investing in recruitment and retraining of qualified engineering professionals ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of water and wastewater services. These staff members apply engineering principles across planning, design, review, and infrastructure management-upholding regulatory compliance, boosting performance, and supporting operational needs.
In response to these challenges, a comprehensive staffing analysis was conducted. This benchmarked Marion County Utilities (MCU) positions against comparable organizations, clarified job responsibilities, and generated strategies to enhance recruitment and retention. Based on the findings, the Director of Utilities recommends reclassifying the following positions Utilities Engineering Manager, Utilities Deputy Director, and Engineer.
The recommended changes by the Utilities Director impact engineering-related positions that are cross-departmental. Therefore, the County Engineer is recommending the reclassification of the following positions Engineer, Deputy County Engineer, OCE Engineering Project Manager, Traffic Operations Manager, Assistant County Engineer - Road Maintenance, County Surveyor, Stormwater Engineer and Transportation Engineer.
The reclassifications presented in this item will be added to the proposed budget. Effective upon approval of this item, the Utilities Department will initiate the recruitment of vacant positions at the new pay grades.
BUDGET/IMPACT:
Expenditure of $50,768 in ZF440536, $62,301 in BL400541, and a Savings of $32,529 in EK430538.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
Motion to authorize the Budget Director to make the following changes to the FY 25/26 proposed budget: Reclassification of One (1) Deputy County Engineer position pay grade 119 to pay grade 121; Eight (8) Engineer positions from pay grade 113-117 to pay grade 115-119; Three (3) OCE Engineering Project Manager positions, pay grade 112-116 to pay grade 114-118; One (1) Traffic Operations Manager position pay grade 117 to pay grade 119; One (1) Transportation Engineer position pay grade 117 to pay grade 119; One (1) Assistant County Engineer - Roads Maintenance position pay grade 118 to One (1) OCE Assistant Director position pay grade 120; One (1) County Surveyor Position pay grade 116 to One (1) OCE Assistant Director position pay grade 120; One (1) Stormwater Engineer pay grade 117 to One (1) OCE Assistant Director position pay grade 120;One (1) Utilities Engineering Manager position pay grade 118 to One (1) Utilities Assistant Director of Engineering position, pay grade 120; and One (1) Utilities Deputy Director position from pay grade 119 to pay grade 121.
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