Cape engineer takes Minnesota teaching job

City engineer Jay Stencel is leaving the position for a teaching job, and the city of Cape Girardeau needs to find a replacement.

Traffic operations engineer Kelly Green will shadow Stencel for a month so she can take over his responsibilities until a candidate is hired.

Stencel, 33, said city engineer isn't an easy duty, especially when the job involves acquiring property and causing traffic jams.

One of the long-term projects Stencel oversaw during his two years working for the city was the Broadway construction project, currently in phase two. Stencel closed off an entire section of the road to help advance the process and said, as a result, it took a third of the time.

"I thought it would be best for the city," he said, referring to a temporary detour that was put in place. "I tried something we always kicked around that I hope they can continue."

There's a demand for engineer technicians in the market, Stencel said, and not many colleges offer the training.

He'll be instructing a two-year program at South Central College in Mankato, Minn., that focuses on surveying land, designing plans and managing construction projects.

"I can use everything I learned here and actually apply it to students," he said.