MVSD hires MS Consultants to serve as chief engineer though end of June

Staff report

MINERAL RIDGE

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District hired MS Consultants of Youngstown on Tuesday to serve as chief engineer and engineer of record for the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District effective Thursday.

The contract, which pays MS Consultants $7,200 per month, calls for MS to handle these duties through June 30 – a little more than four months.

Dave Tabak of MS Consultants, who served as MVSD chief engineer from 1987 to 2003, is the person who has been serving in this role so far and will be the operator of record, said Atty. Thomas Wilson, legal counsel for the district.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requires that the MVSD employ a Class 4 water-supply license holder, and Tabak meets that requirement, Wilson said, adding that MS is the “interim” chief engineer.

Tabak will work 40 hours per week, five days per week, but that can be reduced to fewer hours per week if Tabak gets permission from the Ohio EPA, Wilson said.

In that event, MS would provide another professional engineer to provide the additional hours Tabak is not on the job, Wilson said.

MVSD is the principal supplier of water from the Meander Reservoir to Youngstown, Niles and McDonald.

Matt Blair, MVSD board president, on Feb. 1 described the hiring of MS Consultants as a “stopgap measure so we can evaluate a permanent solution,” though he added that MS Consultants could become permanent chief engineer after June 30.

The previous chief engineer, Tom Holloway, retired recently. He was paid $110,000 per year plus benefits.