Council approves $71,100 amendment to Dry Fork Greenway engineering contract

The Excelsior Springs City Council on Jan. 21 approved Resolution 1548, amending the engineering agreement with George Butler and Associates for the Dry Fork Greenway project to add $71,100 in design-phase services.

Public Works Director Chad Birdsong told the council the additional services were needed to address unforeseen conditions discovered during design and to keep the project on schedule. Birdsong itemized the requested additions: $18,000 for a property boundary survey to establish right-of-way and easements; $53,100 for locating buried water and sewer utilities that could not be found using traditional methods; and redesign work that included realigning about 800 feet of the creek channel to protect Kennedy Avenue from erosion. Birdsong also said the scope change required an individual permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rather than the originally scoped nationwide permit.

Birdsong said the amendment raises the contract price by $71,100 to a total of $1,100,051 and that the amendment will follow the previously identified 80/20 split of ARPA funds and the city's CIP match. He told the council the amendment had been reviewed and approved by Missouri DNR and included in ARPA project listings.

The council voted on a motion to approve the amendment; the roll call was unanimous (Councilman Rennie, Councilman McGovern, Councilman Saint John, Mayor Pro Tem Spear and Mayor Spahn voted yes) and Resolution 1548 was approved.

Birdsong said the design changes reduce flood depths on Kennedy Avenue and provide long-term stream stability. The council did not attach additional direction beyond approval during the meeting; staff will proceed with the amended scope and permitting steps.