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John “Jack” Helin
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TAB 5
The Chieftain (Bonner Springs, KS)
February 26, 2003
Council Hears Engineer Recommendation
Author: Scott Summers
After months of weighing the potential pros and cons, it appears the Bonner Springs City
Council will not move forward anytime soon with plans to hire the city's first full-time city
engineer. The City Council had discussed the possibility of hiring an in-house city engineer
several times over the past few months, although council members have been divided on whether
to make the change. The city currently contracts for engineering services with an outside firm,
Wilson & Co.
City Manager John Helin, who helped research the possibility in recent weeks, cited several
reasons Monday before issuing his recommendation against hiring an in-house city engineer at
this time. The idea could be reconsidered at some point in the future, he said.
In doing his research, Helin said he was primarily concerned with whether the hiring of an inhouse
engineer could save the city money and if the hiring would result in a higher level of
service for the city. Of 15 area cities surveyed, Helin said salaries for city engineers ranged from
approximately $53,000 to $75,000 a year. De Soto was the only city with a population of less
than 10,000 -- as is Bonner Springs -- that had its own in-house city engineer.
According to estimates provided at the meeting, Helin said Bonner Springs could expect to pay
approximately $87,000 annually if it were to hire an in-house engineer. That figure would
include benefits, such as participation in the city's health insurance and retirement packages.
Helin said contracting out for engineering services does have several additional benefits, such as
giving the city access to high-priced engineering software it might not be able to afford on its
own, and allowing city officials the opportunity to access other engineers with expertise in
specific areas. "It's most economical to continue with a contract engineer," Helin said, summing
up his analysis.
Council member Wendy Scheidt said she still believes the city would benefit from having its
own in-house engineer, despite the city manager's recommendation. She pointed out the
successes of city engineers in other area communities, such as De Soto and Lansing.
"I know the dollars are tight right now, but there's something to be said for what the cities are
doing that have an engineer on staff," Scheidt said.
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