Council OKs $71,000 directive for over-excavation at Gloucester Water Treatment project

The Mayville Common Council approved Work Change Directive No. 4 to permit over-excavation at the Gloucester Water Treatment Facility upgrade project, with the council citing an estimated cost of about $71,000.

Staff explained the over-excavation was recommended by the geotechnical firm after contractors reached remnants of a former lagoon filled decades earlier with concrete and debris. The geotech recommendation was to remove an extra foot of material to reach competent soils and then backfill with compactable gravel. "When they filled in that lagoon, they filled it in with concrete level and debris from somewhere else on the site," a staff member said on the record.

Council members discussed why the directive was needed before exact unit prices were known. Staff described the directive as quantity-based: authorizing the work so contractors could proceed while the final change order with negotiated pricing returns to council. "This is a work change directive. This is not a change in the contract price yet," a staff member said.

A motion to approve the directive was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the council later recorded the approval during roll call. The motion included direction that the final change order and negotiated pricing be presented to council when available.

Council and staff discussed that, because the area had been a lagoon and contained buried concrete, the excavation could uncover softer soils and additional work could be required; staff said PSI returned to site and testing would continue. The estimated price used for the directive on the meeting record was $71,000; final costs will be determined and brought back to council.