Sugar Grove board authorizes limited contingency spending for police remodel

Sugar Grove — The Village Board approved a resolution authorizing limited use of the project contingency fund for the police department remodel and delegating approval authority for smaller change orders to a staff-led committee.

Police Chief Rollins and staff told the board the remodel project has a contingency budget of $325,000. The resolution authorizes the proposed police department building committee — consisting of the police chief, the public works director and the village administrator (and with architects and construction manager review) — to approve contingency expenditures of $25,000 or less. Any contingency spending above $25,000 must return to the Village Board for formal approval, Chief Rollins said.

Rollins told the board staff will track contingency expenditures in his staff report and provide a running total so trustees can monitor spending. The delegation is intended to keep the project moving by eliminating frequent small board approvals that could delay work, Rollins said. He described the typical pathway for change orders: vendors submit change orders to the architect, the construction manager reviews pricing and then the building committee reviews and authorizes spending under the $25,000 threshold.

Trustees asked whether the project architects and construction administration would review change orders; Rollins confirmed the architects will prepare and the construction manager will review change orders before they reach the building committee. The board then voted by roll call to approve the resolution.

Outcome: Resolution authorizing contingency use for the police department remodel was approved. Staff will continue to report contingency expenditures and return to the board for approvals of amounts exceeding $25,000.