By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

A chance to return home to raise his family and take on some different challenges lured Dan Stack to the Salina city engineer's position.

The city announced Stack's hiring in a Monday press release, but he verbally accepted the job in early July. He's leaving his post as senior civil engineer for the city of Overland Park. Stack, 34, has worked there since 1999.

"Overland Park is a very big, growing city, but it seems to me Salina has just as many things going on," he said.

Stack, who will be paid $86,000 a year, was chosen from a field of four applicants, Salina Public Works Director Mike Fraser said.

"Dan is an energetic and intelligent professional with 10 years of local government experience. That's important to us," Fraser said. "In addition, he has a strong background in capital improvement project management and good experience in pavement management."

The extremes of water shortages to flooding are on the list of issues that will greet Stack when he reports for work Aug. 11.

Stack said he's used to roads and construction, but sewer, wastewater, railroad tracks, a levee and a river are "things we don't have much of" in Overland Park. A landfill also isn't among his current responsibilities.

"The challenges will be keeping up the work we're doing with the cost of materials and gas to do that work," Stack said.

While he has enjoyed the Kansas City area, Stack is looking forward to less traffic and a smaller city where he and his wife, Jenny, can raise their two children.

He is a graduate of Salina South and Jenny is a graduate of Salina Central, both in 1992.

Dan Stack's father, Rod, is a Salina plumber and a former Salina firefighter.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.