Belleville hires a new city engineer. Here’s how much he’ll be paid.
The vacancy in the Belleville city engineer’s office has been filled by someone who has experience as a civil engineer as well as an alderman.
Michael Velloff, who has been a civil engineer for 25 years, will start his new position as city engineer on Feb. 10.
Velloff will earn $100,000 per year, which is about the same amount as his predecessor, Tim Gregowicz. For more information about public employee salary across the metro-east, you can go to the News-Democrat’s public pay database at bnd.com.
Gregowicz left the Belleville post last year to be the director of planning and public works for Town & Country, Missouri.
Velloff currently works for Heideman Associates in St. Louis and also serves as an alderman on the Alton City Council, a seat he’s held since 2009. He said he plans to remain in office until the spring 2021 when his current term ends.
According to city ordinances cited by Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert, Velloff will have to reside within 10 miles of the Belleville city limits by the spring of 2021.
Eckert said he asked the Belleville City Council to hire Velloff because he believes Velloff will be a “good communicator and a good listener.” The council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of Velloff’s appointment.
“Basically I was looking for a change,” Velloff said of the reason he sought the Belleville job. “I’ve worked in private practice for the last 25 years and for the rest of my career I’d like to try something different and move in a different direction.”
Velloff said his first objective will be to “meet with the mayor, meet with the council, discuss what the city’s goals are and move that agenda forward.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 8:44 AM.
