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Rutherford County approves bundled change orders to complete site work for forensic center and future buildings
Summary
The Rutherford County purchasing committee approved three change orders, bundled for mayoral signature, to complete site utilities and grading for the forensic center and adjacent future buildings; the package drew one dissenting vote and prompted discussion about oversight and previously removed contract items.
Rutherford County—s purchasing committee voted to approve bundled change orders to add site work, testing and related construction-phase services back into the forensic center package and to prepare the broader site for future buildings.
The items approved include site grading and utilities work, a small excavation/hydro‑excavation contract to determine utility depths and a credit reducing hauled fill in some future areas. County attorneys and project staff said the net effect of packaging the three change orders together reduces the previously presented amount by roughly $11,000 compared with approving the largest change order alone.
The committee—s discussion focused on why some services were not included in earlier scopes. County staff said portions of construction‑phase services were intentionally removed earlier to reduce the architect—s fee below a board cap and would be added later within the project—s guaranteed maximum price (GMP). County Attorney Nick Christianson advised that he had reviewed the change orders for legal compliance. KSA (the county—s architect) and RC Matthews (the general contractor) are the primary firms on the project; Moody was named as the subcontractor for major earthwork.
Some commissioners expressed concern the Public Building Authority (PBA) and other expert review groups were not more involved earlier in the process. Vice Chairman Peay recorded a no vote on the final bundled motion; the roll call on the mayoral-signature authorization was McAdoo yes, Johnson yes, Peay no, Gooch yes, Phillips yes and Chairman Carr yes.
The committee discussed cost figures during debate: the forensic center GMP previously discussed was cited as $14,890,000, the broader GMP for the combined package was referred to in the transcript as about $19,400,000, and staff described about $3,000,000 of earthwork as a major component of the site work. Staff also said the largest single change-order line item was presented at the meeting as $22,963,421 but explained much of that amount represents the bundled civil/site scope allocated across multiple buildings.
Staff said the hydro‑excavation change order, priced at $3,190, is intended to locate and confirm depths of existing utilities so the finish elevations for building pads and parking can be set accurately and so that the county avoids unnecessary haul‑in of fill material. A second change order presented a credit of $11,251 for not hauling fill into specified future‑building or future‑parking areas.
The committee approved the bundled change orders and authorized the mayor to sign the single combined change order paperwork, subject to the county attorney—s final review. During debate, staff emphasized that delaying site work risks higher future costs and that doing the consolidated site work now will preserve permitting and constructability for the forensic center and other planned facilities.
The committee directed staff and the county attorney to finalize documentation and present the consolidated change order for the mayor—s signature. No additional project funding was requested beyond the previously approved project GMP; staff said the bundling only reallocated costs within the existing package.
