Board approves initial draw and scope change for Evoqua digester-cover work; final change-order pricing to return

Columbia City’s Board of Works and Safety on April 8 approved the first invoice from Evoqua for fabrication and mobilization of a digester cover and authorized a nonfinalized change proposal to accommodate scaffolding and scheduling needs.

Why it matters: The digester-cover work is part of the city’s wastewater treatment projects; approval of the first draw allows fabrication to begin, while the approved change proposal acknowledges additional scaffolding and potential extra mobilization work that the contractor said will incur later charges.

Staff presented billing number 906967662 for $204,531 and recommended approval as the first of multiple draws to begin production and secure long-lead items. Staff also explained that change proposal No. 1 addresses sequencing and scaffolding logistics: Evoqua’s mobilization schedule includes two mobilizations several weeks apart, and the contractor indicated some scaffolding or staging might need removal, storage on-site or reconstruction later. The board voted to accept the change proposal now to allow the contractor to proceed with scheduling and scaffolding procurement; the board and staff emphasized that the meeting action did not approve a dollar amount for the change order and that final pricing will return to the board for formal approval.

A city representative said the start date for mobilization is currently planned for August with a second mobilization in October to allow time to complete interim work between mobilizations. The board recorded the motion to approve the invoice and the change proposal as unanimous.