Athens council OKs extra funds for new fire headquarters after debate over change orders

Athens City Council on June 16 approved Ordinance 63-25, amending the 2025 appropriation ordinance to authorize additional transfers and increase the total authorized spending for the new fire headquarters project (project no. 346). The measure passed with five affirmative votes, activating the emergency clause needed for immediate effect.

Council members debated whether to approve roughly $992,000 in additional funds tied to completed work and change orders, with concern from some members about change orders that were not brought to council for prior approval. “I’m inclined to vote against it. I don’t like how it’s done,” Council Member Wood said, later adding that the mayor was not present to explain the decisions.

The dispute centered on several line-item reallocations and a larger tally of project authorization. Deputy Safety Services Director (recorded in the meeting as the deputy safety services speaker) explained that the ordinance amends the total authorized expenditure to $14,352,000 and allocates $9,932,000 from the Safety Services Fund for land purchase and site preparation. The ordinance text also includes appropriations from unappropriated balances, including a $350,000 transfer and smaller internal reallocations of $27,000 and $25,000.

Council members pressed staff on consequences of not approving the ordinance. The deputy safety services speaker said the city remains obligated to pay contractors for completed work and that nonpayment could prompt contractor claims on bonds and related legal consequences. “Contractors do have an… obligation to contractors to pay for work that they've done,” the deputy said.

Treasurer remarks in support of the funding noted the additional amount represented roughly a 6.9% increase over the original $13,420,000 projection and characterized the size of the overrun as within common ranges for municipal construction projects. The treasurer also said that, excluding identified fraud-related charges, the overrun on this project would be about 2%.

Council discussion identified five change orders overall, including an early change order in 2024. Specific payments were discussed: a final payment to a contractor identified in the record as Pepper of roughly $700,000, plus about $200,000 for later cost overruns, bringing a sub‑total discussed in the meeting to about $900,000 for those items.

Several members said they supported paying contractors for completed work while criticizing the process that allowed some additional work (for example, extra paving and a fitness court) to proceed without explicit council approval. One council member said the fitness court and additional parking were part of the department’s plan and that delaying the work could have raised future costs.

After extended debate, the council voted to adopt Ordinance 63-25. Members were told five affirmative votes were required for the emergency clause and the presiding officer counted five ayes.

The ordinance text as read at the meeting amends prior appropriation ordinances referenced in the discussion (including earlier ordinance numbers cited by staff), authorizes interfund transfers, and adjusts appropriation line items for the fire and capital improvement funds.

Council members asked for better communication on change orders going forward; council record shows the concern will remain part of the project’s oversight record.