AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF ONE FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (1.0 FTE) OPERATIONS MANAGER POSITION FOR THE SAUK COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE 2020 BUDGET PROCESS

The Highway Commissioner’s job is to manage 62 employees and approximately 4 to 6 construction projects that account for $2.5 million in costs that occur every year in Sauk County which includes insuring that all projects are done safely and according to the law.  In order to better manage employees and projects, the Highway Commissioner needs to focus on policies and practices.  Unfortunately, due to the current structure of the department, the Commissioner is required to micromanage projects through reviewing plans, specifications, and problem solving during the actual projects.  This new position will focus on the everyday projects while the Commissioner focuses on the broad policies and procedures of the Department as a whole.  This position will also be able to provide engineering and surveying skills that will minimize the reliance on consultants for planning and delivering of construction and maintenance projects. Currently the Highway Commissioner is providing all design/construction specification/technical expertise for all County and Township Highway projects completed using consultants/contractors and in-house resources.  This position will have the construction, survey, and design knowledge to complete project design, construction oversight and survey data collection to efficiently plan and deliver highway maintenance and construction projects.