Sean Hoisington: More than meets the eye

HAYDEN - Sean Hoisington, the current public works director, began his service to the city of Hayden in 2010.

Since then, the civil engineering graduate from Washington State University has been quietly going about his business.

When spotted around town, he said, "(I'm) probably driving, if not walking along a road or looking down a manhole."

There's more than meets the eye.

Hoisington agreed this week to share a bit about himself with The Press.

What are some big projects you've worked on in North Idaho that the public might be familiar with?

From 1999 to 2002, I was the Idaho Transportation Department's project manager for the Sand Creek Byway in Sandpoint. This was during the conceptual design phase of the project where, in partnership with several qualified consultants and much community participation, the form and functionality of the project was defined.

While working for David Evans and Associates, I was the project manager for the U.S. 95 Transportation Access Plan and Mobility Study. This project was staffed by talented traffic engineers, who in cooperation with (Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization) and ITD, developed a plan for minimizing corridor travel time for U.S. 95 traffic from Ironwood to Highway 53, while accounting for pre-planned community access points (like the Wyoming Avenue signal).

What attracted you to engineering and working as a public works director?

My dad is a professional land surveyor and during high school I used to work with his survey crews on cadastral and construction staking projects. That work grew into construction inspection and eventually other leadership roles. As I worked with the engineers in the office, I saw an interesting, practical and challenging career. I've been a registered professional engineer since 1996.

Over my career both as a consultant and with ITD, I have always enjoyed working with the public on various projects. Public works has a lot of community interaction (kitchen table type discussions) and is hands-on oriented. I enjoy the mix of planning, design and operations.

What are your responsibilities?

Under the oversight of the City Council, I am responsible for the stewardship of the city's municipal infrastructure including streets, sewer collection and pumping, parks, buildings, and vehicle fleet. My job is to develop asset management systems, identify current needs, anticipate future needs and plan for improvement activities (both maintenance and capital improvements). On a day to day basis, I interact with our staff to address community concerns, interact with our other directors to coordinate on planning, financial and other issues, manage consultants whom we have working for the city and whatever else the city administrator says I need to be doing.

How do you see the city of Hayden developing in the future?

Of course the national economy has a lot to do with our local economy, but if things continue to stabilize the city has an outstanding potential for growth. After having just worked through a sewer master plan update with Connie Krueger, our community and economic development director, and seeing the annexation and development interest from both a residential and commercial perspective, I believe Hayden will enjoy some good development in the near future.

Do you have any specific goals you want to accomplish as the city's public works director?

I would like to experience financially sustainable infrastructure management. Similar to many other aspects of our city's budget, the dollars available for street maintenance are not able to keep up with the degradation of the transportation system. Similarly, the costs of fleet replacement far exceed the dollars available. As a result, we are focused on expanding our knowledge of low-budget maintenance techniques and using second hand when we can find it.

What's something many people who live in Hayden don't know about their community?

Every time you flush the toilet, the sewage is pumped uphill to the wastewater treatment plant. Also, the big hole we've dug at the corner of Strahorn Road and Honeysuckle Avenue is actually a replacement sewage lift station (we call it H-1 Lift Station).

Also, the sewage treatment plan is not operated by the city of Hayden. The organization responsible for the operation of the plant is the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board.

Another thing people are surprised to discover is that the city of Hayden and the city of Hayden Lake are two distinct and separate government entities.

If you didn't go into engineering what would you have chosen instead for a career path?

As a born-again Christian, I would likely have pursued what the Lord's will would be for my serving Him in a career. As it was, I didn't care what He thought at the time. Now, having been handed a new life in Christ, I would likely seek His desire for me in a vocation.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A doctor or a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy.

When you are not at work, what are you up to?

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I love to study God's word, the Holy Bible. I love to read books about God and the people he has used in the building of His kingdom. I love to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I love to help others develop a passion for God and service to Him. I, my wife, and kids are members of Hayden Bible Church and enjoy spending time with God's people there.

I also love to spend time with my wife and family, reading, riding bikes and motorcycles, listening to my sons play music, going to rodeos, fly-fishing and watching good movies.