Council approves $170,000 work change directive for wastewater plant rubble removal

The Mayville Common Council approved Work Change Directive (WCD) No. 3 to allow additional rubble removal at the wastewater treatment facility, with council discussion centering on cost estimates, contingency funding and unknown buried materials.

Staff described the contractor encountering unexpected surface rubble and debris when clearing pile material at the site. A staff member said the contractor "did excavate it" and noted the geotechnical report flagged rubble but did not estimate volume; a drone flyover and excavation were used to estimate debris amounts.

Council discussed cost estimates and contingency. One council member said the project had a contingency and allowance and asked how much would be drawn; staff replied that the contract includes a 5% contingency. During discussion, staff cited an estimated cost figure on the record: "So it's a hundred and 70,000. That's what we need to call." The council then moved, seconded and took a roll-call vote; the motion carried with one recorded nay (Alderperson Wilson).

Members raised environmental and hazardous-materials concerns because the debris area is near a river and had not been fully tested. Council and staff said additional testing would occur once excavation proceeded; staff noted there is an allowance in the project budget for removing additives and materials and that any final contract price would be presented later as a formal change order after negotiation.

Council members asked for clearer communication and a defined authority threshold for on-site staff to approve work without prior council approval. Staff and the contractor representative said the work-change directive was a quantity-based authorization to let work proceed and that a final change order with actual prices would follow.