Council agrees to change order for molten water treatment plant filter project, adding 45 days and ~$105,585

Butte-Silver Bow's public works director asked the council on June 4 to approve a change order to contract 24-588 for the Molten Water Treatment Plant filter replacement project to add a required potable-water pipe lining omitted from the bid documents. The council approved the change order by majority vote.

Why it matters: The change order addresses a specification omission in the bidding documents. Without the lining, the filter work could not be completed to potable-water standards; the additional time and cost reflect both the material lead times and the previously omitted scope.

Public Works Director Mark Neri said the change order adds 45 days to the contract schedule and increases costs by approximately $105,584.63 for materials. He told the council the engineering firm waived a separate $29,000 restocking fee that otherwise would have been charged because the omission traced to the bidding documents. Neri said timely approval was necessary to allow ordering of long-lead materials and avoid a project delay beyond the next council meeting.

Commissioners approved the request to concur and place the communication on file; the recorded vote was 10–1 in favor. Commissioner Thatcher asked for confirmation that the engineering firm had absorbed the restocking fee; Neri confirmed the fee had been removed.

Ending: The change order was authorized to keep the project on schedule; public works said it will proceed with ordering the required materials and update the council on progress.