Departing city engineer honored by URA

The Lewiston Urban Renewal Agency took up an extra bit of business at its regular meeting Tuesday, unanimously passing a resolution honoring City Engineer Shawn Stubbers for nearly 20 years of service.

Stubbers is leaving his job next week to take a position in the private sector, joining the design group at Hillco Technologies in Nezperce to help create the next generation of leveling systems for John Deere and Case harvesters, as well as other agriculture-related products.

“I was just ready for a change of pace, a new challenge, a new opportunity,” Stubbers, 46, said of taking a job that will cut his commute from an hour to 15 minutes. “My family’s got an ag background and I’ve always been interested in ag manufacturing engineering. So when this opportunity arose, it was just time for a change.”

Stubbers studied that branch of engineering at the University of Idaho, and his first job after graduation was for Hillco. He took his first position with the city of Lewiston in 2000, starting as an assistant engineer before working up to head of the city’s development engineering group.

He took over as city engineer — the No. 2 position in the Public Works Department — about five years ago. During his tenure, Stubbers has helped shepherd projects of all shapes and sizes through Public Works, culminating with the ongoing efforts to upgrade the city’s wastewater and water treatment systems.

And even though he is leaving, Stubbers said the work is in the good hands of qualified city staffers and contractors.

“People might be concerned about these big projects in the hopper, and all of them are going along well,” he said. “Our wastewater treatment plant, the construction crew over there is just excellent. They’re doing great work, on time and under budget.”

Joe Kaufman, engineering project supervisor for wastewater and stormwater, is overseeing that project with the assistance of Wastewater Systems Manager Brian Ellison. Alannah Bailey, engineering project supervisor for water and transportation, is in charge of the water treatment project along with Water Division Manager Bryan Lacey. The water treatment project is still in the design phase.

“I don’t think it will even be a hiccup in regards to those big projects,” Stubbers said of his departure.

Stubbers said the URA resolution came as a surprise, and he wondered why Community Development Director Laura Von Tersch invited him to Tuesday’s meeting. In part, it states that the projects the agency has undertaken since its reactivation in 2005 have been reliant on solid engineering, estimating, forecasting, management and oversight.

“Whereas, in all circumstances Mr. Stubbers’ guidance and efforts for the Urban Renewal Agency have been key to the Agency’s success,” it stated. “Whereas, it is with mixed emotions that the Agency congratulates Mr. Stubbers on his new opportunity with a different employer. Therefore, the Agency would like to formally thank Mr. Stubbers for his time, talents, professionalism and integrity.”

The city is advertising for a new city engineer, with the application period set to close next month.

In other business:

Von Tersch said City Manager Alan Nygaard is vacationing on a cruise near Panama and is due back on the job next week. But in the event he is not able to return on time because of any quarantines related to coronavirus concerns, she and city Administrative Services Director Dan Marsh will continue to fill in for Nygaard.

She added that the city may postpone upcoming meetings or conduct them electronically if the outbreak reaches the city.

URA board members unanimously passed the agency’s 2019 annual report after a public hearing that garnered no public comment. The agency’s biggest project completed last year was the addition of 9,000 feet of new sewer main and 2,000 feet of lateral sewer lines in the eastern Lewiston Orchards.

So far, 22 residents along the route of the new line have converted from septic systems to sanitary sewer, with around 40 more getting taps into the mainline installed to their property so they can connect at a later date.

The project is intended to help reduce the area’s dense concentration of septic systems, which are believed to be contributing to high nitrate pollution in ground and surface water.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.