JIMEE Committee Report – February 28, 2012

First, we explored why management uses engineering consultants to perform technical services. The following reasons were given:

• Peak Shaving
• Lack of in-house expertise
• Lack of available resources

The above-mentioned may all be legitimate grounds for turning to consultants for technical services; however, if we have a citywide, coordinated effort to plan and implement capital improvements projects by sharing resources and expertise, then perhaps we can severely curtail the use of outside engineering firms.
Technical Leaders Day
One way to make this idea a reality is to hold a “Technical Leaders Day” in September, before budgets are submitted. This event will provide an opportunity for all City Division and Group Technical Leaders to present their Capital Improvement Programs and future plans and to share ideas about how to share staffing. We think this increased communication will not only assist union members but also department heads, by giving them increased capacity to meet demands.
Please let me know what you think of the Technical Leaders Day idea or anything else that you’re concerned with. Send me an email.
–Reported by Michael Simpson
Senior Environmental Engineer
Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation