The Board of Local Improvements may, when it shall be necessary and when the local improvements are proposed or in progress, recommend to the City Council that the city employ an engineer. The City Council may then employ an engineer who shall be a practical surveyor and an engineer who has received a technical education as a civil engineer, who shall advise with the Board, make all necessary estimates of cost of proposed improvements, make surveys and profiles and perform such services as may be ordered by the Board and which are ordinarily performed by an engineer in and about such improvements. The engineer shall receive as compensation for his services such sum as the City Council and the engineer may agree upon prior to the commencement of any specific piece of work to be done by the engineer.
(`79 Code, § 32.165)