MASON — City Council will hire a storm water engineer to manage the city's new storm water utility.

        Unless the position is filled internally, it is expected to be filled early next year because of a backlog of vacant positions. The engineer will make between $18.75 and $22.79 per hour.

        Beginning in October, residents will see an extra $3 on their monthly utility bills to help fix storm water problems and build the new water collection systems.

        The new utility is expected to generate about $1 million per year, up from the previously estimated $700,000, said City Manager Scot Lahrmer.

        “The current storm water Capital Improvement Project list alone contains over 85 projects totaling over $7.1 million of work,” Mr. Lahrmer said. “Assuming that $500,000 of capital improvement projects are designed and constructed each year, a storm water engineer will be needed for the next 10 to 15 years to manage these projects.”

        Projects will include ditch and flood plain maintenance, catch basin and manhole restoration, and new storm water system design and construction.

        The primary duties of the new engineer will include managing the construction projects and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the utility.

        Councilwoman Betty Davis was initially opposed to creating the new position the position, she said at Monday night's council meeting, because she feared having toterminate the position after all the work has been completed. But she said she decided to vote for the legislation because it was more economically feasible than outsourcing the work.

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