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Committee Recommends Hybrid Model for Westbrook’s Engineering Services

The town expects to pay a little more up front but save in the long run if a proposal to add a town engineer is approved in the next town budget. On Jan. 3, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) accepted a report from the Ad Hoc Engineering Committee that recommends the town add staff to avoid contracting an outside engineer for all town projects.

The committee, whose members included town staff and elected officials, were asked to recommend whether the town should again hire an engineering firm to provide support services to the Land Use Department for project review or instead, hire a town engineer.

What the committee recommended was a hybrid model: hire a part-time town engineer for $35,000 to $45,000 per year and budget another $65,000 for outside consulting engineering services to augment and support the town engineer. The committee believed the change would improve efficiency and customer service, and save the town money.

The town’s current model, in place for the past five to six years, has been to select a consulting engineering firm that would support the Land Department’s needs. That firm has been Woodard and Curran. When individual project review tasks have arisen, for example, the Land Use Department asks the firm Woodard and Curran for a task order listing labor hours and pricing for the work. If approved by the town, the firm proceeds, under the oversight of the town Land Department lead.

The members of the Ad Hoc Engineering Committee recommend the town move away from this model.

Selectman John Hall, a member of the Ad Hoc Engineering Committee, said “The report is very accurate. I think [this approach] will save the town money.”

The BOS accepted the recommendation unanimously; the request will now go through the budget process.