– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News
Quincy’s Traffic Engineer not a duly licensed engineer?
After undertaking a diligent review in the wake of the latest dime dropped Quincy Quarry’s way, it would clearly appear that the City of Quincy’s traffic engineer is currently not duly licensed as a State Engineer nor was she at the time of her hire by the city over two years ago.
Per the Quarry’s review of the pertinent state database, the person currently receiving $104,450.00 a year salary – and roughly $6,000.00 more than her boss, the Director of the new Traffic, Parking, Alarm and Light Department – as the Traffic Engineer for the City of Quincy, this person appears to have let her State Engineer license lapse in 2012.
Key examples of the resultant problems of her apparent license lapse follow.
When this individual was hired in 2014, she thus further appears to have not held the standard licensure for a job as a professional engineer.
What is unclear at this point is whether or not this was overlooked or misrepresented in 2014 is unclear at this time as well as that Quincy Quarry sees no point in being stonewalled by City Hall given an the making of an inquiry into this troubling situation.
Also unclear is how the head of the City of Quincy Human Resources Department or at least someone on her staff apparently failed to spot this shortcoming perhaps may have let slide what one can only reasonably assume was one of the key qualifications expected of the person hired for this well-paid as well as technical professional position.
Further troubling, it only took Quincy Quarry but a few moments to discern that the person currently well-paid as the city’s traffic engineer had let her State Engineer license expire two years before her hire by the City of Quincy as its Traffic Engineer.
Granted, this individual who was hired by the City of Quincy to fill the Traffic Engineer position was said to have graduated college with a degree in engineering as well as had applicable experience at the time of her hire.
At the same time, also having a valid State Engineer license was surely every bit as much to be expected as someone having a teaching credential to be considered for a much lower paying position as a school teacher.
Additionally troubling is that two year licensing fee only run $150.00, plus whatever costs may need to be incurred to undertake any possible continuing professional education studies as are required of many other state professional licensures.
Further troubling is that per the state’s licensure database, reestablishing one’s lapsed State Engineer license after two or more years past its expiration would appear to entail essentially the same effort to obtain a license in the first place: proof of education, successfully passing the applicable examination(s) as well as sufficiently meeting whatever else is required.
Further even more troubling is that absent a valid State Engineer license, this person cannot legally sign off on any formal document that requires that the signatory has a valid license.
In turn, any such document signed by someone without a license could be arguably null and void as well as so open local taxpayers to financial exposure should anything go wrong with anything done per an invalid signature.
In the meanwhile, local taxpayers have been covering a six figure salary for someone whom one can only properly view as not duly certified for the job that this person is currently holding.
Expect Quincy Quarry to continue to follow this latest curious story about hiring practices by the Koch Maladministration.
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Here’s a question: Is the city’s Traffic-non-Engineer the genius who designed the Charlie Foxtrot traffic pattern we seem to be burdened with in Quincy Center? Ongoing experience informs us that the painted
turn markings as well as the undulating lane markings will soon be worn away and things will be worse than they are right now. Not that drivers or pedestrians pay much attention anyway …
Incomprehensible street markings — triangles, arrows, symbols, diagonal lines, chevrons, stripes, dots. Squares. Widening and narrowing lanes, turn radiuses that trucks and buses can barely negotiate. Traffic and directional lights and signage where one doesn’t normally expect to find them, lack of signage where one does expect it to be, confusing lights and signs where simple, clear ones would actually serve as helpful aides. Bike lanes that go right through trolley stops (or is it trolley stops that stop in the middle of bike lanes?) Not to mention both drivers and pedestrians texting (or whatever else they’re distracted with) while trying to traverse this morass of traffic-non-engineering hell. A regular funhouse. Does the Mayor gaze out from his office and chuckle at the chaos he’s unleashed on the C of Q?
Don’t forget getting rid of the right turn arrow on Washington at Southern Artery heading towards the square. There was one, but they got ride of it for no apparent reason other than to create needless congestion. A good traffic manager would be scouting for places to put right arrows to eliminate congestion, but that would be asking too much. My father has called it about Washington St a few times and the simpletons simply agree that it would be a good idea to bring back the arrow – and then do nothing about it as is clearly evident.
If he can do the job, let him be!
First off, the person currently paid from the city’s traffic engineer annual budget line item is a she.
Next, there are all manner of things she cannot (legally) do on her own as she is not licensed.
For example, her signing off on any matter requiring professional certification would lay open local taxpayers to expensive legal liability if something went wrong later involving that matter. One can also only properly assume that the original job posting requirements included having the appropriate professional license. Plus, one can only assume that the other two candidates had the appropriate licensures.
Finally, as for doing the job, have you tried driving around the Q recently?