The Challenge

The Town of Fletcher has a growing population of over 8,500 residents, which has doubled in size since its incorporation in 1989. The Town is working hard to maintain existing service levels within its current tax structure, but only has a public works staff of nine and a planning staff of two. The Town does not have a professional engineer on staff. Even if the Town had a professional engineer on staff, these two departments may still need the necessary resources or skills to address all of the Town’s engineering needs.

McGill has an on-call contract with the Town to provide technical engineering assistance for land development review and guidance, as well as miscellaneous project work. We have helped with the following:

• Annual street resurfacing
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permitting and program support
• A new Town hall
• Highway 25 improvements
• Recreation fields
• Park improvements
• Environmental assessments
• Parking lots
• Crosswalk and sidewalk design
• Street conditions assessments
• Stream bank repair
• Site development
• Site feasibility studies
• Master planning
• Construction administration

Our Solution

Having an on-call engineering relationship with a consulting engineer is valuable for several practical reasons detailed below.

• Flexibility and Efficiency: Local governments often need engineering expertise on an as-needed basis; utilizing an on-call consulting engineer allows them to quickly respond to issues without the lengthy process of hiring and contracting for each specific project. This flexibility can be particularly useful for smaller or unexpected tasks.
  • Applicable Example: McGill produces the Town’s Powell Bill map each year, which is required as part of the funding application for state aid to maintain streets, bikeways, greenways, and sidewalks.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Instead of having a permanent, salaried team of engineers on staff, the local government only pays for services as they are required, which is more cost effective. This avoids the overhead costs of maintaining full-time personnel (e.g., salaries, benefits, and training).
  • Applicable Example: When the Town had a groundwater problem on South Wildwood Lane, McGill worked with a contractor to install a subsurface drainage system and stabilize the roadway shoulder.
• Expertise and Specialized Skills: The Town of Fletcher has budgeted funds to address road maintenance every year and identified capital improvement projects for complete road resurfacing. McGill supports the Town with these projects.
  • Applicable Example: In 2021, McGill provided the Town with engineering design, bidding, and construction for street resurfacing on Glen Springs Road, Barrington Court, and Hedgewood Court. Our team of civil engineers had the required expertise and specialized skills to complete this work. We have also provided the Town with environmental consulting and surveying services for other initiatives, such as the US Highway 25 corridor project.
• Timely Problem Solving: McGill’s contract with the Town includes “technical assistance for miscellaneous, non-contracted project associated work.” With this contract, engineers can be called in to address emergency situations or urgent issues, such as infrastructure failures, natural disaster responses, or concerns related to public safety. Having an on-call arrangement ensures that there is minimal delay in finding solutions.
  • Applicable Example: Most recently, McGill assisted the Town of Fletcher in its response to damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene. We were on the ground to assist with emergency items via our on-call contract and then, later, develop and bid projects after the Town completed the required RFQ process. In this recovery effort, we helped the Town restore a pedestrian bridge, stream, and trail, and repair fencing around ballfields and multiuse courts. Some additional emergent tasks have included developing a library conceptual design, evaluating the Town’s flood ordinance, and resolving issues with groundwater management on its greenway.
• Resource Optimization: Many local governments may not need full-time engineering staff for all aspects of their operations. With an on-call engineering relationship, the government can allocate resources more efficiently, focusing internal staff on essential tasks, then bringing in consultants when needed.
  • Applicable Example: The Town brought in McGill to add a new, multiuse athletic court system to Bill Moore Park. The project included four pickleball courts, a tennis court, and three basketball courts. The courts are enclosed by a vinyl-coated chain link fence to separate each playing area. The courts also have an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sidewalk system with access to all courts from the park’s rear parking lot. Two bio-retention cells were installed on the park’s front parking area to treat the expanded impervious surfaces. This improves stormwater discharge quality and controls the peak flow. This project was perfect for McGill, as we have landscape architects, stormwater professionals, and engineers on staff.
• Ability to Test Each Firm for Right Fit: Developing relationships with multiple engineering consulting firms in an on-call capacity gives your entity the opportunity to complete small projects with the firm and get an idea of whether working with that firm is the right fit for your community.
  • Applicable Example: McGill developed its relationship with the Town of Fletcher by first completing smaller projects. After years of providing services to the Town, McGill was selected in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process for larger projects, like the Fletcher Town Hall, Highway 25 corridor study and sidewalk improvements, and Tropical Storm Helene disaster recovery assistance.
• Risk Management: Having a trusted on-call engineering consultant can help mitigate risks associated with complex engineering decisions. If there is a question about the safety or feasibility of a project, a consultant can provide an expert opinion, reducing the risk of costly mistakes.
  • Applicable Example: We have helped the Town with design and cost estimates for small parking lots, conceptual plans for infrastructure (like a new library), and bid reviews.
• Compliance and Regulatory Expertise: McGill helped develop the Town’s NPDES MS4 system in 2007 and has continued to manage it each year since. We assisted the Town with acquiring grants to fund the development of a stormwater outfall inventory and master plan and prepared the initial MS4 permit.
• Support for Long-Term Projects: Maintaining the Town’s MS4 permit requires inspection of the Town’s stormwater control measures. We assist the Town with these inspection tasks.

The Results

An on-call contract allows the Town of Fletcher to scale the level of engineering and review services that are needed, depending on the specific demands of the community. This eliminates the need to employ full-time staff for tasks that might be sporadic or variable. The benefits of utilizing an engineering firm in an on-call capacity include cost savings, reduction of workload for local government staff, and efficiency enhancements, among many others.