Council approves additional $300,000 for Golden Eagle impoundment repairs; staff warns further costs possible

The Fountain Hills Town Council approved additional funding on Tuesday to complete the Golden Eagle Impoundment project, which protects Golden Eagle Park from floodwater overflow and repairs existing drainage failures.

Public works staff described the project as a flood-control priority that evolved into an extensive remediation effort after original park design limitations were discovered. Director Justin and staff said the design revealed outbreak flows and subsurface conditions requiring additional work to restore capacity and protect park amenities.

Staff requested funding adjustments to cover change orders and field discoveries. Paul, the town’s finance representative, told the council $100,000 will come from surplus Panorama Park project funds and $200,000 from the capital projects fund contingency, for a total of $300,000 in additional funding allocated to CIP D6057. Paul noted the $200,000 was the remaining contingency in the capital projects fund. Staff also warned that because additional field issues were uncovered during construction, more requests could be necessary; staff pledged to return to council if further funds are required.

Council members stressed the safety implications and the need to finish the work correctly; the council voted 6-0 to approve the additional funding and to proceed toward substantial completion. Council members said they hope this will be the final request but acknowledged prior projects’ cost overruns and the inherent risks of remediating aging infrastructure.

Staff said the contract adjustments use unit pricing, backup documentation and MAG (Maricopa Association of Governments) specification language for allowable markups to check change-order pricing. The work is expected to reach substantial completion within about five weeks, subject to field conditions.