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Council approves police station change order after debate over design, costs and AECOM charges
Summary
Council approved a change order for the new police station construction manager at risk after staff described direct‑purchase savings, supplier backorders and unexpected subterranean site conditions; the council also discussed concerns over architectural change orders submitted by AECOM.
The City Council approved a contractual change order for the new police station construction project during the March 26 meeting after staff described a mix of cost‑saving direct purchases and added expenses tied to unforeseen site conditions.
Staff summary: city staff said some major components — including a generator — were procured directly to avoid sales tax and address long lead times, producing roughly $700,000 in savings compared with having the CMAR buy those components. The council approved replacing the originally specified generator with a Caterpillar unit for about $250,000 more so the city maintains uniformity across municipal generators and simplifies future maintenance.
Construction complications: staff reported discovery of subterranean conditions at the site (old gas‑plant infrastructure, unexpected foundational elements and plumbing apertures) that raised the contract price. City management said the city had also received a set of change orders from the architect/engineer that staff considered excessive; the manager said he had sent a detailed letter to AECOM asking for justification and credits for unperformed work such as geotechnical services that should have been complete before bidding.
Council discussion: Councilmember Moore (who moved approval) and Vice Mayor Kramer (who seconded) both said they supported the change order to keep the project moving but voiced concern about some architect and consultant charges. "We want to be good partners, but we also expect professional diligence from our consultant teams," a council member said during the discussion.
Vote and next steps: the council approved the change order on the consent agenda (motion to approve the consent agenda with g and j pulled, later a separate motion to approve the change order). The tally recorded a unanimous 5‑0 approval. Staff said they will continue negotiating credits with the architect and monitor construction administration billing.
