Council declines $137,892 change order after engineersplans error debate

Fergus Falls City Council members voted down Change Order No. 3 for the D'Lagoon Campground Improvement Project after extended debate over who should pay for electrical work that staff says was underbid because the construction plans used an incorrect scale.

The nut graf: Staff said the electrical subcontractor discovered the plan scale on the construction drawings was wrong, underrepresenting conduit and wiring by about 50%, and proposed Change Order No. 3 to add $137,891.92 to the contract. City staff recommended using the project contingency; several council members argued the design error should be the engineer’s responsibility and opposed reducing the contingency for this cost.

Grant, the project presenter, told the council the electrical work was bid as a lump-sum item and the contractor’s bid was based on quantities calculated from the provided plans. "Change Order 3 includes additional…