Mayor John Lombardi III continues to push for a project manager to lead the city engineering department, rather than a director of engineering.
Lombardi said Thursday that he was advised by Chief Building Inspector Jason Dool that he could bring someone in as a project manager for six months without Common Council approval, and that he’s choosing not to do so “right now.”
Lombardi attempted to employ a project manager earlier this summer after the city fielded no applications for the vacant director of engineering post. The difference between the two posts is, essentially, while a director of engineering would “plan and execute” engineering projects for the city, a project manager would work with consultant engineers to do the same.
According to Michael Marino, consultant engineer from the firm Nussbaumer & Clark, whatever the title, Lockport’s city engineer, including former engineering director Steve Pump, has used consultants. For example, he said, Pump is not an electrical engineer and so when electrical projects were undertaken, he tapped Nussbaumer & Clark to provide expertise and certification.
“The best engineer I ever worked with had only an associates degree but had 15 years of experience, and he could draw from that, but still needed the consultant to rubber stamp the decision,” Marino said.
The project manager job specifications were approved by the Civil Service Commission on July 26 and the position came before the Common Council for recognition at its Aug. 14 business meeting.
Third Ward Alderman Mark Devine and Fifth Ward Alderman Margaret Lupo voted against recognizing the position, resulting in a 2-2 vote that caused the resolution to fail. Two aldermen were absent from the meeting.
On Wednesday, during the council’s work session, Lombardi vented his frustration when the three aldermen in attendance, Kathryn Fogle (4th Ward), Kevin Kirchberger (At Large) and John Craig (1st Ward), said they needed more information about the position and wanted to hear from Dool and Marino.
“This is something I put together. What do you want them to tell you that I haven’t?” Lombardi replied.
Lombardi said going with a project manager instead a director of engineering would save some money. The project manager’s salary is $10,000 less than the director of engineering’s salary, and Nussbaumer & Clark, would receive a nominal fee increase, he said.
Initially when the city did not receive any applications for the director of engineering post, Lombardi said he was prepared to raise the salary for that job to $90,000, but asked Marino to first look over the director’s job specs for duplication of effort. Marino’s markup guided the project manager’s job description, Lombardi said, adding that the description passed muster with Dool, Personnel Director Mary Pat Filbert and Clayton Dimmick, the director of highways, parks and water distribution.
“It’s everything I know we need,” Lombardi said.
Currently, former director of engineering Steven Pump is working part-time for the city until a replacement engineering department head is hired and transitioned.
Lupo said she voted “no” on approving the project manager’s job because she believes that the city charter requires an engineer, either a person with a degree in engineering or at least four years of experience in the field.
The project manager post requires a bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in engineering work or public infrastructure with one of those years in a supervisor role.
The director of engineering post requires either a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and four years of experience with one year in a supervisor position or an associate’s degree in civil engineering with six years of experience and two years as a supervisor, according to Filbert.