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County extends engineering contracts and presses contractor to finish Phippsburg and Milner wastewater projects
Summary
Routt County approved two change orders to AquaWorks DBO for extended final design and construction engineering services on the Phippsburg and Milner wastewater treatment plant projects and said it will pursue liquidated damages if contractor delays continue.
Routt County commissioners on May 13 approved amendment 1 to professional services agreements with AquaWorks DBO Inc. to continue engineering support for Phippsburg and Milner wastewater treatment plant projects through July, authorizing up to $62,500 for each site.
Why it matters: Both projects are multi‑year capital upgrades to county wastewater infrastructure. Delays in coatings and contractor performance have pushed the schedules out of their original timelines; county staff said additional engineering time is necessary to complete construction administration and project closeout work.
What the board approved: Two separate motions authorized the chair to sign professional‑services amendment 1 and for the county manager to execute related change orders with AquaWorks, each not to exceed $62,500. Staff said the amendments cover engineering and construction administration through July and will help finalize remaining work and reimbursement paperwork for federal/state grants.
Budget and grant status: Staff reported the projects remain in budget and that some ARPA cushion funds remain available for contingencies. Staff also said they expect more grant reimbursement requests once remaining documentation (for example, certified payroll and American Iron & Steel compliance records) is submitted by the contractor; actuating those reimbursements is in progress.
Contractor performance: County project managers said they issued a letter outlining potential liquidated damages because the contractor is beyond contract completion dates; the county has not yet assessed damages, preferring to emphasize completion and avoid further delay. County staff said they expect coatings subcontractors to be on site in the coming days and remain confident the projects can be completed this field season.
Ending: Commissioners approved the amendments unanimously and asked staff to continue close oversight of contractor progress, grant documentation and visual/landscape mitigation at the sites.
