House
File
650
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
650
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
479)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
authorizing
county
boards
of
supervisors
to
employ
firms
1
of
professional
engineers
as
the
county
engineer.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
2428HV
(1)
91
th/ns
H.F.
650
Section
1.
Section
309.17,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
309.17
Engineer
——
term.
3
The
board
of
supervisors
shall
employ
one
or
more
licensed
4
civil
engineers
as
county
engineers.
However,
the
board
5
may
employ
a
professional
engineering
entity
as
the
county
6
engineer,
with
one
or
more
licensed
civil
engineers
employed
by
7
the
entity
responsible
for
performing
the
duties
required
of
8
the
county
engineer,
pursuant
to
an
agreement
between
the
board
9
and
the
entity.
The
board
shall
fix
the
term
of
employment
for
10
county
engineers,
which
shall
not
exceed
three
years,
but
the
11
tenure
of
office
may
be
terminated
at
any
time
by
the
board.
12
Sec.
2.
Section
309.18,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
13
to
read
as
follows:
14
2.
The
county
engineers
shall,
in
the
performance
of
their
15
duties,
work
under
the
directions
of
the
board
and
shall
give
16
bonds
for
the
faithful
performance
of
their
duties
in
a
sum
not
17
less
than
two
thousand
nor
more
than
five
thousand
dollars,
to
18
be
approved
by
the
board.
The
board
shall
approve
a
bond
given
19
by
a
professional
engineering
entity
employed
as
the
county
20
engineer,
which
covers
the
entity’s
licensed
civil
engineers,
21
as
if
the
entity
was
one
licensed
civil
engineer.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
Under
current
law,
the
board
of
supervisors
of
a
county
26
(board)
is
required
to
employ
one
or
more
licensed
civil
27
engineers
as
the
county
engineer.
County
engineers
must
28
directly
supervise
all
construction
and
maintenance
work
to
29
ensure
the
work
is
carried
out
efficiently
and
properly.
30
County
engineers
may
be
hired
for
terms
of
up
to
three
years,
31
though
the
employment
may
be
terminated
at
any
time.
The
board
32
is
required
to
determine
the
level
of
compensation
for
a
county
33
engineer,
and
county
engineers
are
required
to
provide
a
bond
34
between
$2,000
and
$5,000.
Multiple
counties
can
collaborate
35
-1-
LSB
2428HV
(1)
91
th/ns
1/
2
H.F.
650
to
hire
a
county
engineer
and
share
costs
for
support,
with
1
an
agreement
specifying
cost
allocation
and
reimbursement,
2
in
accordance
with
Code
chapter
28E
(joint
exercise
of
3
governmental
powers).
A
county
engineer
is
required
to
submit
4
detailed
accounts
for
any
expenses
incurred
related
to
the
5
engineer’s
duties
as
county
engineer.
6
This
bill
authorizes
boards
to
employ
a
professional
7
engineering
entity
as
the
county
engineer,
with
one
or
more
8
licensed
civil
engineers
employed
by
the
entity
responsible
for
9
performing
the
duties
required
of
the
county
engineer,
pursuant
10
to
an
agreement
between
the
entity
and
the
board.
A
board
must
11
approve
a
bond
given
by
a
professional
engineering
entity,
12
which
covers
the
entity’s
licensed
civil
engineers,
as
if
the
13
entity
was
one
licensed
civil
engineer.
14
-2-
LSB
2428HV
(1)
91
th/ns
2/
2