Council approves final payment and change order for Goose Creek Green stormwater project amid calls for procurement review

Westchester Borough Council approved final payment certification No. 3 and a contract change order of $73,002.10 for the Goose Creek Green public‑works stormwater project on July 16, while directing follow‑up review of procurement and project management practices.

Council discussed the change order and payment in the context of larger concerns about procurement, project monitoring and grant administration. Councilmember McCoy (speaking during the discussion) and borough staff outlined the typical project workflow: concept and grant matching, engineering and final design, bidding, assignment of a project manager and then execution; grant managers typically compile reimbursement packets after invoices are tracked and the project manager maintains invoicing records.

Auditors and staff had previously recommended improved use of authorized vendors and the reconciliation of due‑to/due‑from balances; councilors cited supply‑chain volatility and suggested including contingencies in future bid estimates. After a motion to approve the payment and change order, council voted to approve the payment. Separately, members moved to send dual items for further study: (1) public works committee to review planning and design processes for capital/grant projects and (2) finance committee to review change‑order approval thresholds and procurement practices.

Councilors acknowledged failures and mistakes in recent projects but said authorizing this payment was necessary to close out the contract and enable grant reimbursement and project completion. Staff said reimbursement requests will follow the borough’s grant procedures; the payment does not itself foreclose additional review or corrective steps identified in committee work.