Council reviews special‑inspection contracts for social‑services building; combined costs exceed budgeted amount

City staff informed council that geotechnical and special‑inspection services for the Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services building have combined contract costs above amounts previously budgeted.

Staff said the city awarded a geotechnical contract to R.L. Bryce in January and later completed an RFP for special inspections. The city recommended an award of special‑inspection services; staff reported the two engagements together total in excess of $106,000 and that the budget line originally allocated $75,000 for special inspections, creating an overage of approximately $31,600. Staff recommended reducing the contingency line item to cover the increase and said they will continue project oversight with the architect and contractor.

The resolution before council recognizes the existing geotechnical contract and authorizes award of special‑inspection services; the staff report named Schnabel Engineering in the resolution language. Staff emphasized that much of the contingency risk remains tied to construction and that cost pressure should reduce as the building goes vertical.

Councilors asked about partner communications and the status of related projects, including a bike‑lane project, and staff said they provide updates via email and attend regular coordination meetings with county and Buena Vista officials.

The resolution was presented and motioned, but no final roll call vote on the resolution was recorded in the public meeting transcript at the time the council moved to the closed session.

Why it matters: the contracts and contingency draw on project budgets and affect how the city manages cost risk on a significant social‑services facility. Council will need to authorize any budget adjustments to cover the overage before final contract execution.