Department chief gets approval to move interim engineer into assistant director job

In a single vote without comment last week, Benicia City Council agreed to a shift in its contracted Public Works Department personnel, and several other matters on its consent calendar.

Until Tuesday’s vote, the department has been contracting with Pakpour Consulting Group for interim principal civil engineer services.

But Public Works Director Graham Wadsworth told City Manager Brad Kilger the department needs an assistant public works director more.

Fortunately, Steven Yee, the civil engineer Pakpour assigned to the city, is capable of handling either job, Wadsworth said.

He had told Kilger that city employees don’t have either the expertise or the time to do the work. In addition, he said, Yee’s expanded contract still is about 15 percent less expensive than the position costs at other firms.

Originally, Benicia contracted with Pakpour on Jan. 12 for up to $44,000 for Yee’s work. Modification of the contract, increasing it to up to $64,800, required Council approval. The difference would be paid through the Public Works Administration Contract Services Account.

Wadsworth said once the principal civil engineer’s position is filled after being vacant about a year, Yee would be reassigned as the contract-interim assistant public works director, helping manage water treatment, water quality, wastewater treatment and maintenance operations, and developing a schedule for street resurfacing and underground utility projects.

By the same vote Tuesday, the Council accepted the East Second Street Overlay Project and its $16,599.32 change order.

The final cost was $598,816.22, paid through a federal grant and Allied Waste fees.

Contractor MCK Services, Concord, resurfaced East Second Street from East O Street to Military East, East S Street to about 300 feet north of the Corporation Yard, and the eastern abutment of the East Second Street bridge over West Channel Road to the east of Reservoir Road in the Benicia Industrial Park.

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