What we do . . .
CRAB Engineering staff provides assistance and support to the counties in the areas of professional engineering, program development, and road department management. CRAB assists county road departments and their legislative authorities on issues relating to county roads in order to enhance the safe and efficient movement of people and goods over county roads.
CRAB's goal is to ensure that County Engineers and staff are equipped with the latest information and knowledge in order to insure that they meet their legal requirements AND provide quality, cost effective service to the citizens of their county and Washington State.
Contact Engineering@CRAB for more information.
County Engineer Responsibilites
The County Engineer, under the direction of the Legislative Authority, supervises the establishment, laying out, construction, alteration, improvement, repair, and maintenance of all county roads. He or she is required by law to be a licensed professional civil engineer. There is a vast variety of laws to be reckoned with by the Engineer in carrying out his or her obligations, some of which may be unattractive to the County Board of Commissioners. The Engineer must execute the Board's instructions in a most diplomatic fashion within legal requirements.
The County Engineer must make certain delegations of authority and responsibility for the proper operation of their department. In all cases, each level must clearly understand the authority and policy limits within which it is to exercise its delegated responsibilities. The County Engineer must be assured that all such delegations are being properly discharged and that the people to whom delegation is made are fully capable. It is essential that competent personnel be employed on their staff.
Reporting Requirements
County Engineers are required to submit all annual reports to CRAB to meet compliance standards. County Engineers and delegated staff use the CRAB Annual Reporting System (CARS) to submit required reports throughout the year. CARS software helps counties with meeting compliance requirements as required by applicable laws and the Standards of Good Practice.