The Butler County Engineer’s Office is organized into four departments with a separate agency in place to manage federally mandated storm water runoff controls.
Design & Engineering
- Project Planning & Development
- Grants & Federal aid
- Design
- Survey
- Right-of-Way
- Traffic / Signals & Signs / Speed Limits
- Development Services
- Driveway & Right-of-way Permits
- Tax Map
- Records
The BCEO Engineering Department is a multi-disciplined group that initiates the project development process. Our planning group is responsible for prioritizing short-range and long-range construction projects. An important asset of this group is the ability to search for and acquire local, state, and federal funding sources so that additional projects can be constructed while minimizing local dollars.
The Design Group is responsible for both in-house design and project management of culverts, bridges, intersections, and any other roadway projects on both the township and county systems. Once plans are complete, they are given to our right-of-way acquisition group so that appropriate work agreements and easements are obtained.
Our surveyors attain topographic field data by utilizing GPS equipment, performs construction layouts and any other surveying needed for our projects.
The BCEO Traffic Division is responsible for the engineering, design, installation, and maintenance of all traffic control devices, including signals, signage, and lane markings. Speed studies are conducted in some cases to determine if a speed limit should be changed. Various traffic studies are performed in the planning of future roadway projects utilizing data that is collected and maintained by the office, including traffic counts and accident data.
Development Services reviews construction drawings for proposed residential subdivisions and commercial developments within the unincorporated areas of Butler County. To ensure new development follows the mission of the County Engineer’s Office, two major components of the plan get evaluated — traffic and drainage.
The Tax Map Division is responsible for providing a map to assist the County Auditor in preparing taxes. Ohio law mandates that the County Engineer create and organize the map of his/her community and update it on a daily basis to reflect changes in property ownership. This responsibility entails creating and maintaining a detailed inventory of every parcel of land in the county. A map must be drawn for every parcel of property in the county and this map must be to scale. The County Auditor’s office uses this map as its official record for property tax purposes.
Per the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), the County Engineer is responsible for maintaining public records and certain items of historical data. This information is made available to the general public.
Construction
- Construction Management
- Contract Administration
- Inspection
- Utility Coordination
- Utility and Hauling Permits
- Pavement Resurfacing Program
The Construction Department is responsible for all road and bridge construction projects administered through the Butler County Engineer’s Office. This work entails plan review plus preparation of contract estimates, proposals, and bid documents. The department coordinates the relocation of all utilities in the construction area and inspects the contractors’ work to ensure that design specifications are met and that projects are completed in a timely and cost-effective manner. Work quantities and invoices are reviewed and forwarded to the Auditor’s Office for payment. At the completion of projects, the department performs a final inspection before final payment is released to the contractor. Private development work that will later become county or township infrastructure is inspected by this department and monitored by the department to ensure compliance with standards.
The Construction Department also works with other governmental agencies that fund local projects, such as County and Township Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Residential Incentive District (RID) projects. Federal aid projects are handled through Local Public Agency (LPA) contracts and state-funded projects are administered through this department in the form of Issue 1 grants and loans, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) grants. Projects for townships are also administered through this department.
Subdivision road and drainage structures are inspected for compliance with county subdivision standards before a road becomes township maintenance responsibility. This inspection includes pavement and curb and gutter inspection, as well as video inspection of drainage facilities, as needed.
Permits for driveway installation and reconstruction are issued by the Construction Department. They are inspected for proper construction, drainage, and access visibility. Overload vehicle permits are also issued through the department. Culvert and pavement inspections are performed for the townships. Contract work generated through these inspections is administered through county contracts.
Operations
- Snow & Ice Control
- Road / Bridge Maintenance
- Culvert Replacements
- Bridge Repair
- Mowing & Brush Control
- Roadway Striping
- Signing
- Fleet Maintenance
The Operations Department of the Butler County Engineer’s Office is responsible for all Force Account projects as well as the general day-to-day maintenance and seasonal type maintenance of roads and bridges on the county roadway system. This includes ditching and drainage projects, painting and striping of roads, signing, traffic signal maintenance, patching, pavement repair, bridge repair, berm work, guardrail repair, mowing, brush and weed control, and snow and ice control. Also included is emergency maintenance such as storm damage, downed trees, high water and flooding problems, and any debris that poses an immediate safety hazard to the motoring public.
Snow and ice control is one of the more visible activities performed by the BCEO. Winter weather can keep road crews busy whether it’s a little bit of ice or a lot of snow. Crews have to be out just the same although the method of treatment may vary depending upon what type of winter conditions are fouling the roads. Our goal is to make your commute safe. For a full overview of the BCEO snow and ice control operations plus lots of interesting winter data, please visit our special Snowfighters page:
Administration
- Finance & Accounting
- Human Resources
- General Office Administration
- Government / Township Liaison
- Public Information
- GIS/Information Services & Technology
The Administration Department oversees all budgets and payroll as well as general office administration, including human resources and personnel. This department also serves as the primary liaison with the townships and other governmental agencies.
Public Information is also a function of administration. This division is responsible for public and media communications, production of various reports including the Annual Report and Capital Improvements Report, development and maintenance of this website, and production of the biennial Butler County Official Transportation Map.
The Geographic Information System (GIS) Division uses digital mapping of Butler County for the purpose of recording and maintaining county assets, query, analysis, and generation of maps and reports. One of the most critical aspects of making sure that BCEO employees can do their jobs falls under Information Services and Technology (IT), which is responsible for acquiring and maintaining all computers, servers, and communication equipment. The IT Group operates under the premise that changes in computer systems and planning should be a dynamic process improving efficiency and services, reducing costs, and providing the County with up-to-date management tools to better serve the public.
Storm Water District
- Storm Water Runoff
- NPDES Compliance
- Illicit Discharge Detection / Elimination
- Construction Runoff Control
- Post-construction Runoff Control
- Public Education & Outreach
- Public Involvement
- Pollution Prevention
The Butler County Engineer also serves as the Storm Water Engineer and oversees the Storm Water District. As a result of the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was formalized. The Butler County Storm Water District is responsible for the implementation of the county’s storm water management plan and NPDES Phase 2 regulations. For information about water quality and the NPDES Phase 2 permit, visit the Butler County Storm Water District web site.