Hillsdale’s new city engineer, Rob Stiverson. Courtesy | Rob Stiverson
After several months without a permanent city engineer, the City of Hillsdale filled the position last September with a familiar face and a seasoned resume. Rob Stiverson, a Hillsdale County native with more than 30 years of civil engineering experience, stepped into the role with a focus on efficiency and collaboration.
“I was born in Hillsdale, and grew up between Camden, Waldron, Sullivan, Illinois, and Pittsford, and graduated from high school in Pittsford. Most of my family still lives in Hillsdale County, including extended family,” Stiverson said. “The attraction to Hillsdale was the opportunity to be closer to family but also to do work that benefits an entire community.”
According to Jason Blake, director of public services, few of the applicants for the position had the municipal engineering background the city needed.
“Mr. Stiverson’s background included performing civil engineering services in both the public and private sector over the past 30 years,” Blake said.
Blake said Stiverson’s wide-ranging experience — including project management, city engineering, parks and recreation coordination, street maintenance and reconstruction, drainage, and city management — made him a strong fit for Hillsdale’s needs.
“Having Mr. Stiverson on staff allows the city to perform in-house engineering services for projects across all departments,” Blake said. “That reduces project lead-time and provides cost savings compared to outside services.”
Stiverson graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1995 and completed engineering internships with the City of Jackson before working for several firms handling both private and municipal projects. In 2004, he founded Stiverson & Associates, which he ran until the COVID-19 pandemic. He later served as city manager in Bad Axe before returning to engineering full-time.
One of the biggest challenges he sees ahead is a familiar one for small cities.
“The challenge with most of the small city governments that I have worked with over the years is always the same, and it’s the ability to finance projects,” Stiverson said. “Where I can help most is by keeping engineering costs down by doing as much work in-house as possible, while still providing the functionality and aesthetics the city needs.”
Since Stiverson’s arrival, Blake said, the transition has been smooth.
“Upon Rob’s arrival, he immediately started design work for current and proposed street projects,” Blake said. “Through great communication, he was able to put all the pieces together at or ahead of schedule.”
Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino praised Stiverson’s professionalism and responsiveness.
“He’s answered all of our questions and avoided getting involved in disputes about road policy,” Paladino said. “He’s given solid professional advice, and I think he’s done a great job. We’re happy to have him on board.”
Paladino added that finding a qualified municipal engineer has been challenging for many cities.
“Contracted engineers can cost 10% to 20% percent more than a full-time staff member,” Paladino said. “It’s great to have someone with long-standing municipal experience, and I hope we have him for many more years because we’ve got a lot of road work ahead.”
Current projects include street resurfacing, drainage improvements, and accessibility upgrades, with major work planned on M-99 and North Street and several neighborhood roads over the next few construction seasons.
“I feel like I hit the ground running on doing what I can to economize projects and get the necessary information to the other department heads, boards, and city council,” Stiverson said. “I’ve met a lot of people who genuinely want to help the community.”
