County approves small change order to raise hydrant at 4100 North bridge; cost covered from project contingency

County bridge project staff told commissioners Sept. 15 that the recent 4100 North bridge work left an existing fire hydrant below the new roadway grade and subject to snow‑clearing impacts, and they requested a change order to reconstruct and raise the hydrant to a proper operating elevation.

Public‑works staff provided an estimated cost of $33,645.11 to relocate/reconstruct and adjust the hydrant so the nozzles and operating components are accessible and function as intended. Staff said the bridge contract includes contingency funds and that, to date, the overall bridge program (two bridges) is about $50,000 over the base bid while contingency remains available (the project contained a roughly $2 million contingency line; staff reported approximately $505,100 remaining at the time of the work session).

Commissioners indicated they had no substantive objection to the change order, asked staff to confirm formal signatures and follow procurement protocols, and requested outreach to the commission chair who had briefly logged off. Staff said they would contact the chair and obtain required approvals; they also noted related easement/license questions would be handled separately.

The change order was described as a standard construction‑phase adjustment to address unforeseen field conditions and to maintain fire‑protection functionality adjacent to the new bridge.