Board to review multiple wastewater change orders, engineering amendments and power‑supply delays tied to 2025 bond fund projects

Project manager Todd Pillar told the Board of Directors staff will present several change orders and contract amendments for 2025 wastewater bond fund projects at the June 3 meeting.

Pillar said a value‑engineering change with Coakley Company Inc. on Phase 1 of the Lower Gulf Of Interceptor produced a $1,281,276 cost reduction that will be returned to bond funds. “We worked with RDOT and got the bore and casing underneath the bypass in Gulf Of Creek. So now we can open and cut it,” Pillar said, describing the change that produced the stated savings.

Pillar also summarized multiple change orders stemming from the Davidson Drive wastewater treatment plant contract with Max Foote Construction Company, LLC. He said 14 contract changes netted a positive $248,942 to that contract and that those items — including head box modification ($175,000), removal/replacement of unsuitable material ($47,000), and several credits (for example a $230,000 credit for HOBUS pipe substitution) — are included in the change order package. The Chris Engineers Inc. contract for additional construction administration and design changes at Davidson Drive carries a not‑to‑exceed change order of $414,500, Pillar said; he said the work covers oversight of the construction changes and an increase in project days.

For the Gulf of Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station, Pillar said Max Foote submitted change order number 2 totaling $249,294 (twelve changes). Chris Engineers submitted a not‑to‑exceed amendment for construction administration and inspection services for that pump station of $151,750, Pillar said. Pillar told the board these change orders and engineering amendments will be paid from the board‑approved 2025 wastewater bond fund.

On schedule impacts, Director Webb and Pillar discussed lengthy waits for transformers. Pillar said the projects are waiting on 3,000 kVA pad‑mount transformers; earlier work at a new water plant had required a 72‑week lead time. Pillar said Entergy is installing transmission poles and new transmission line infrastructure along Malvern Avenue from Acres Road to service Gulf Pump Station, rather than using existing distribution poles. That power work and transformer delivery timelines contributed to schedule extensions; Pillar said engineering oversight change orders account for additional inspection and administration while the utility work is pending.

Why it matters: the changes affect multiple major wastewater projects funded by the 2025 bond program and include both cost reductions and added costs for construction changes and engineering oversight. Pillar emphasized that the engineering administration amounts are maximums and could be reduced if Entergy completes the transmission and transformer work earlier.

Board process and next steps: each change order and amendment is listed on the board agenda (resolutions R25108, R25109 and the related Chris Engineers amendments for Davidson Drive, plus items listed for the Gulf pump station). No final votes were recorded during the agenda review; Pillar said the full change‑order documentation and the list of individual contract modifications are included in the board packet for the meeting.