Knox County Commissioners have approved an on-call engineering services agreement to assist the county highway department while the county continues to search for a full-time engineer or superintendent.

The agreement with United Consulting allows the county to access engineering services on an as-needed basis at no upfront cost. Work would only be billed if activated under a task order, with each initial task order capped at $10,000 unless further approved.

Officials noted Knox County has benefited in the past from having an in-house engineer, especially during major weather events and infrastructure repairs. However, finding qualified candidates for the highway superintendent or county engineer role has proven challenging.

Commissioners discussed the value of maintaining professional engineering oversight, with some suggesting that the county consider additional on-call agreements to ensure flexibility and compare services. The board also emphasized the importance of meeting soon to discuss long-term staffing plans for the highway department.

The motion to approve the agreement passed unanimously.