Project Manager Qualifications The proposed project will be managed and directed by Matthew Wegwerth. Wegwerth obtained a bachelor of science in civil engineering from North Dakota State University in 2002 and has 20 years of experience in municipal engineering. He’s a registered professional engineer in the state of Minnesota (#45016) and has been the city engineer in Grand Rapids since 2014. In his role with Grand Rapids, Wegwerth performs complex technical and administrative work managing, organizing, directing, and coordinating the activities of the department and supervising the design, construction, and administration of capital improvement projects. He also provides engineering support for environmental, water, sewer, street, and other public works projects and programs, ensuring technical competence and compliance with all current codes and criteria. Wegwerth currently manages the MPCA MS4 Stormwater Permit for the city of Grand Rapids. In 2017, he managed the design and construction of a new stormwater treatment pond in Grand Rapids, which was funded by an MPCA Clean Water grant. Organization Description Grand Rapids is the county seat of Itasca County, which contains more than 1,000 lakes. The population of the city was 11,242 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As a regional center, Grand Rapids is home to many national chains as well as locally owned businesses and manufacturing enterprises. The city is the largest community in Itasca County and for that reason is frequently visited by the majority of the county’s 45,000 residents. Residents in other surrounding counties including Aitkin, Koochiching, St. Louis, and Cass also travel to Grand Rapids for shopping, healthcare, and business needs. Further adding to its role as a regional hub, Grand Rapids is a popular tourism destination as it is offers various attractions for visitors and is centrally located within the many surrounding lakes populated by resorts and vacation homes. As a past recipient of grants from local, state, and federal sources, the city of Grand Rapids is experienced in managing the programmatic, financial, evaluative, and reporting components of complex grant projects. Furthermore, the city has implemented a number of unique and innovative public works projects to manage storm water, slow and control traffic, and beautify city streets and parks. The Grand Rapids Engineering Department provides support services to guide the planning, design, management, maintenance, and construction of the city's infrastructure. The primary focus of infrastructure is related to those items located within the public right of ways and easements. Typical infrastructure items include, but are not limited to, streets, storm sewer, sanitary sewer collection, water distribution, street lighting, sidewalks and trails.