Some council members wish for a city engineer in East Peoria
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The lack of a city engineer in the city of East Peoria sparked debate during Tuesday's council meeting, with Commissioner Michael Sutherland voicing his concern.
'If we're spending 70-some thousand dollars on one project, I think we can afford to hire our own engineer because that would be quite a chunk out of his working year-round for us. We need our own engineer in this town as far as I'm concerned,' he said.
Sutherland pointed out that the city could save money by simply paying an engineer a yearly wage instead of paying engineer Patrick Meyer for each project, with Sutherland saying every time he has to apply for a water permit from the EPA, he needs to hire it out to an engineer.
Those costs can add up, according to Sutherland, who also said Meyer is rarely in the city. Mayor John Kahl said that was untrue, and that Meyer does an 'excellent job' for East Peoria.
'If you want a better rate, then negotiate a longer-term agreement with an engineer and you'll see a better rate,' he said.
Commissioner Seth Mingus said the total amount that the city will be paying Meyer is somewhere around $250,000 for the 2025 Street Maintenance Program. He agreed with Sutherland's point, saying that it could be a good move fiscally.
'From a financial standpoint, it's a quarter of a million dollars. And that's just a handful of projects,' Mingus said.
The East Peoria City Council will next meet March 4.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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