Harrisburg council approves southeast infrastructure change order, removes backyard drainage portion for further review

The Harrisburg City Council on Monday approved Change Order No. 3 for the Southeast Infrastructure Improvements project, adding work that increased the contract sum while removing a proposed backyard drainage extension for further study and homeowner discussion.

Councilmembers approved the change order as presented but excluded the portion described in the meeting as the backyard drainage stub (referred to in the discussion as RFP 4 / item 4.2) so the city can return to the issue at a later meeting. Planning staff said the change order adds three calendar days to the contract and moves the substantial completion date from Nov. 26 to Dec. 1.

Chad, a Planning and Zoning representative, told the council the change order’s line items include an RFP component for the backyard stub at $17,804.28, revisions to the Elm Street bulb that increase paving, and a sanitary-sewer repair tied to work on Anna Way. He said, “the change order total is just over 107,000, which is very low,” referring to cumulative change orders on the larger project and explained much of the current change order cost is for paving, gravel and concrete.

Residents and councilmembers debated the drainage stub that would run from the public right-of-way through private backyards. Staff described the backyard work as 358 feet of 6-inch perforated pipe with small area inlets and said one contractor estimate for the full backyard routing was roughly $34,000, with an additional roughly $17,800 to trench under the sidewalk. Councilmembers questioned who would pay for work on private property and whether the partial fix being proposed would adequately reduce flooding in the area.

Public commenter Kyle Hannah, who lives on Tiger Street and raised the drainage problem during public comment, asked the council to delay approval of the backyard portion until affected neighbors can review the plan. Councilmembers agreed and moved to remove that item from the change order and revisit it at the next meeting.

The council approved the amended change order by voice vote. City staff said the Elm Street bulb revision was the more pressing element of this change order and will proceed as approved. Staff also said the sanitary sewer repair included in the change order addressed a backup the contractor and city crews addressed earlier on Anna Way.

The council’s action accepts the change order minus the backyard drainage extension; the excluded portion will return to the council for further discussion and clarification about property impacts, fence removal, utilities and cost-sharing before any work on private property proceeds.