Kent County approves $239,800 change order, reallocates funds for EMS facility after sprinkler mandate raises costs

Kent County commissioners on a unanimous vote approved a change order and transferred additional funds to cover cost increases on the new EMS facility under construction.

The change order and fund reallocation followed a presentation from Dan Mattson, Kent County public works director, who told commissioners the project’s initial budget and bids were overtaken by new requirements from the State Fire Marshal and unexpected permit and utility fees. "The formal review of the project from the state fire marshal ... determined that the entire building must be sprinklered," Mattson said, listing sprinkler work, permitting fees and required survey and site work among the drivers of the overage.

The change order presented to the board totaled $239,800, Mattson said, bringing the project cost to about $900,007.67. He told the board the project originally carried a budget of $651,088 based on preliminary quotes and that the low construction bid received after solicitation was $628,800.

Why it matters: the facility will house emergency medical services vehicles and staff; the additional work includes full building sprinklers, utility connections, site grading, stormwater structures and some items Mattson recommended be done by specialty contractors rather than in-house to protect schedule, warranty and accountability.

Mattson attributed part of the increase to differing guidance between an early, informal review and the later formal fire marshal review. "We designed it per their direction, and then when we formally submitted, we were told differently," he said.

The board first moved to transfer county fund balance into contingency to create capacity to cover the change order. A subsequent motion to approve the change order for the Kent County EMS facility construction contract in the amount discussed on the record carried unanimously. Commissioners also discussed excluding the landscaping line item from the change order to reduce immediate cost and potentially have public works plant material later.

Board members pressed Mattson on warranty, frost protection for sprinkler piping in unconditioned attic space, and alternatives the team had explored; Mattson said some items had no feasible waiver and that additional insulation and other protections would be required.

What happens next: funds moved into contingency must be appropriated to the project budget; the board approved the initial reallocation and separately approved moving the change order dollars into the project. Mattson said he would improve communications on future projects and own any failures to manage expectations.

Provenance: Robust presentation and Q&A on the EMS facility and the change-order motion appear in the transcript beginning with Dan Mattson’s project overview (s=1352.05) and continuing through the motions approving the fund reallocation and change order (s≈2410–2497).