Haley & Aldrich municipal engineers strengthen city public works staff 

Client Challenge 

When Pittsburg’s assistant city engineer retired suddenly, its Department of Public Works needed support while it recruited his replacement. In the current labor market, demand for engineers far outpaces supply. And like many municipal agencies, the engineering division not only needed a new leader but also struggled to keep other assistant, associate, and senior positions filled. The city was also growing, and its current employees felt the strain of managing current needs while planning for the future.  

Pittsburg required qualified individuals urgently, but it also needed the right experts — those who comprehended municipal government culture and the intricacies of public projects. 

The city also needed more than the day-to-day management that’s typical of a supplemental staffing arrangement. It had just issued a $40 million bond and had an urgent project to spend on: upgrading an aging water treatment facility. That was on top of many other large projects, including a $15 million reconstruction of a municipal golf course as a regional soccer facility. 

Because of Haley & Aldrich’s long-term relationship with Pittsburg’s leadership, our reputation for responsiveness and decisiveness, and our decades-long experience supplementing engineering teams in nearby cities, Pittsburg turned to Haley & Aldrich’s municipal engineering experts for help.  

Our Approach 

Haley & Aldrich was contracted to provide support for as long as needed. With sensitivity to the stress that comes with big workplace changes, we assured city staff members that we’d proceed by asking questions, listening, and truly immersing ourselves in Pittsburg to become part of their team. 

The city’s priorities varied, from everyday operations to grant- and bond-funded projects of all sizes (the largest being the water treatment plant upgrade). To address these priorities, we integrated three municipal engineers into Pittsburg’s public works team. These engineers brought robust project management skills and established connections with key agencies like Caltrans and BART. 

With existing relationships and municipal engineering experience, our team could jump in quickly and understand how to prioritize. We also brought decisiveness, keeping projects moving rather than letting them stall out during our temporary tenure. Our civil engineer stayed for a full 18 months. She managed complex grant-funded transportation improvement projects, such as a three-city bike project and a project aimed at adding more than 1.5 miles of new trails and pathways to Pittsburg, funded by six different federal, state, and local grants. This expert project management enabled the city to provide consistency for the department. 

Value Delivered  

• Assisted Pittsburg for 18 months, enabling the engineering division to undertake urgent new priorities while continuing day-to-day operations  
• Completed several ambitious, large-scale projects during the 2022-2024 CIP cycle, including a $40 million, bond-funded upgrade to a water treatment plant, a $15 million sports complex, electric vehicle infrastructure, and fleet vehicle upgrades 
• Managed more than 20 grant-funded projects, contributing to many efforts to modernize, upgrade, and beautify Pittsburg’s infrastructure 
• Drove improvements to the streets around Pittsburg’s BART station that made them safe and accessible by multiple modes of transit