HF 650 (LSB 2428HV (1) 91)

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 of professional engineers as the county engineer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 309.17, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   309.17  Engineer —— term.
   The board of supervisors shall employ one or more licensed civil engineers as county engineers.  However, the board may employ a professional engineering entity as the county engineer, with one or more licensed civil engineers employed by the entity responsible for performing the duties required of the county engineer, pursuant to an agreement between the board and the entity. The board shall fix the term of employment for county engineers, which shall not exceed three years, but the tenure of office may be terminated at any time by the board.
    Sec. 2.  Section 309.18, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The county engineers shall, in the performance of their duties, work under the directions of the board and shall give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties in a sum not less than two thousand nor more than five thousand dollars, to be approved by the board.  The board shall approve a bond given by a professional engineering entity employed as the county engineer, which covers the entity’s licensed civil engineers, as if the entity was one licensed civil engineer.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, the board of supervisors of a county (board) is required to employ one or more licensed civil engineers as the county engineer. County engineers must directly supervise all construction and maintenance work to ensure the work is carried out efficiently and properly. County engineers may be hired for terms of up to three years, though the employment may be terminated at any time. The board is required to determine the level of compensation for a county engineer, and county engineers are required to provide a bond between $2,000 and $5,000. Multiple counties can collaborate to hire a county engineer and share costs for support, with an agreement specifying cost allocation and reimbursement, in accordance with Code chapter 28E (joint exercise of governmental powers). A county engineer is required to submit detailed accounts for any expenses incurred related to the engineer’s duties as county engineer.
   This bill authorizes boards to employ a professional engineering entity as the county engineer, with one or more licensed civil engineers employed by the entity responsible for performing the duties required of the county engineer, pursuant to an agreement between the entity and the board. A board must approve a bond given by a professional engineering entity, which covers the entity’s licensed civil engineers, as if the entity was one licensed civil engineer.