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Trumbull commissioners give trial run to county engineer overseeing second department
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Trumbull County commissioners approved a trial period of several months for county Engineer Randy Smith to take over supervision of the county’s sanitary engineering department.
The move will put Smith at the head of the road department he was elected to run and the water and sewer department, which does not have an elected department head.
It’s an effort to streamline both departments in ways that 11 other counties already have done in the past, including Mahoning County, said Commissioner Dan Polivka.
The two top officials in the sanitary engineer’s department, Executive Director Rex Fee and Sanitary Engineer Scott Verner, now will work under Smith, who will handle the additional responsibilities at no cost during the trial period, Polivka said.
The sanitary engineer’s department has experienced a series of challenges in recent months with a Kinsman sewer project for which the commissioners have had to approve change orders related to undocumented storm sewers that had to be replaced and contaminated soils.
Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said the goal of the change is to share services and equipment between the two departments to make them more efficient.
Furthermore, having one person running both departments will make it more likely the departments will coordinate road projects and water and sewer projects, Cantalmessa said.
It’s a concept the commissioners heard a lot about when they were at their annual commissioners conference, Cantalamessa said. Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti also endorsed the idea, writing a letter that outlines the cost savings and efficiencies it has produced in that county.
One benefit is paying fringe benefits and vehicle allowance for just one department head instead of two.
“The communication between the two departments has made projects flow with greater ease, resulting in fewer changes and plan modifications, improved engineering plans, more efficient timeliness and better overall final projects,” Ginnetti said.
He added that Mahoning County has benefited from getting more Ohio Public Works Commission funding as a result of the collaboration.
Polivka said he is hoping Trumbull County also might be able to start using a “design-bid-build” method employed by the Ohio Department of Transportation that involves a combined bid by a design engineering firm and the construction contractor that holds both firms to a firm price, thereby reducing or eliminating change orders.