Temple Terrace council approves $1.49 million change order for River Hills stormwater project

City of Temple Terrace councilors voted May 6 to approve a $1,493,274.18 change order to EZ Contracting for the Mabel Place/North River Hills Drive stormwater improvement project, citing unforeseen water‑main conflicts and unsuitable subsurface clay discovered during construction.

City Engineer Brian McCarthy told the council the original contract — awarded by resolution 98‑24 in October 2024 for just under $1.2 million and funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars — encountered five field changes, including a water main that turned 90 degrees instead of the recorded angle, redesign of a storm inlet, and large areas of “high‑plasticity” clay under the roadway that must be removed and replaced per Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) construction standards.

“The clay is highly plastic,” McCarthy said. “If it compresses under traffic loads it could deform the roadway or shift drainage piping out of alignment. We followed FDOT standards and are replacing the unsuitable soils.”

McCarthy gave the change‑order total as $1,493,274.18 and said the additional cost will come from the street improvement fund. City staff reminded council that the project originally used ARPA funds but that this change will be paid from local capital; the city manager stated the street improvement fund will retain roughly $3.5 million after the two stormwater items on the agenda are funded. Staff also told council the ARPA spending deadline in staff materials is December 2026, and the schedule for the project should not jeopardize ARPA eligibility.

Council members pressed staff for technical and scheduling details. Vice Mayor Schisler asked how old the water main was and whether the clay had been imported; McCarthy estimated the water main dated to the 1970s or 1980s and said he did not have evidence the clay had been imported. When asked how much material would need removal, McCarthy estimated “probably close to 200 truckloads.” Council member Kravitz asked whether additional geotechnical testing should become a standard part of project design; McCarthy said staff could incorporate more geotech work into future designs.

Motion and vote: Council member Fernandez moved to approve the resolution authorizing the change order to EZ Contracting LLC; Council member Chambers seconded. The motion passed with no recorded nays and the resolution was adopted.

Background: Council approved the original contract in October 2024 (resolution 98‑24). McCarthy said the original dollar amount was funded with federal ARPA dollars; the change order draws on the city’s street improvement fund to cover the additional local share of costs.