Commission approves change orders and equipment leases as Cypress Creek and county golf course work continues

Mobile County commissioners approved multiple contract amendments and equipment leases tied to the county’s golf course projects, and staff provided a construction update showing turf and irrigation work moving forward.

The commission approved change order No. 4 with Ben M. Radcliffe contractor for the Mobile County Golf Course facilities phase. The meeting record states the change order will increase that contract by $87,407 and increase contract time by 104 days; the new contract amount was read as $7,965,946.75 with a substantial completion date of Sept. 15, 2025.

Commissioners also approved change order No. 4 with Mid America Golf and Landscape for the golf course phase; the change order was described as increasing the contract by $102,236.20 with no increase to contract time. The amount read aloud for the new contract was stated as $14,442,996.60 (figure presented in the meeting). The change orders were discussed alongside included items such as additional undercut for roadway, Alabama Power transformer installation and raising a bridge over a waterway on the course.

Separately, the commission approved master lease/purchase and lease agreements with John Deere Financial under Sourcewell for golf course maintenance equipment with a three-year term. The item lists a monthly equipment charge of $6,159.71 for a lease-purchase agreement and a monthly lease charge of $20,010.20 for other equipment; the items were approved pending legal review.

To bridge equipment needs while new equipment is delivered, commissioners approved a short-term loan of seven pieces of maintenance equipment from Beard Equipment Company at no charge to the county while the purchased equipment is in transit (period not to exceed three months; the county responsible for upkeep and repairs while equipment is in county possession). The commission also approved a 36-month Xerox copier lease for revenue commission offices (two copiers at $170.09 each per month and 11 copiers totaling $2,030.46 per month) and other related procurement items for the golf course.

County staff gave a construction update: irrigation was activated this week, power was scheduled to be turned on to the pump station the following day, and grassing of the driving range will begin next week with other areas following in two to three weeks. Staff cautioned against giving specific opening dates but indicated work is progressing toward turning maintenance responsibilities over to the county.

Ending

With the approvals, the county moves forward on construction, temporary equipment arrangements and long-term equipment financing for county-managed golf course operations. Commissioners asked staff to continue reporting progress and schedule updates to formal agendas as construction milestones are met.