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Board presses contractors on culvert deadlines and discusses liquidated damages for road projects
Summary
Supervisors heard a lengthy Road and Bridge report on delayed box-culvert projects, Windstream-related utility delays and potential costs to residents; the board left an existing June 1 deadline in place after debate over contract interpretation.
GAGE COUNTY — The Gage County Board of Supervisors on April 16 received an extended Road and Bridge update on culvert and roadwork schedules and discussed whether to impose liquidated damages after repeated contractor delays.
Supervisor Jurgens, reporting for Road and Bridge, summarized progress on overlay and structure work on Rockford Road and several other projects. He said one contractor—s work on six box culverts — originally due under contract with a November 1 deadline and later extended — has been delayed; the board previously removed one culvert from the contract at its March 19 meeting and expected the removal to shorten the schedule by 45 days per the original contract language.
Jurgens said Windstream caused a 30-day delay by not moving fiber lines in time for one culvert, and he disputed a contractor—s interpretation that the removed culvert did not shorten the deadline. According to his presentation, with the 45-day reduction and a 30-day Windstream delay, the construction window for the remaining work should have aligned with an April 15 completion; the board—s earlier decision to extend to June 1, however, remains in effect and the board said it would leave the June 1 deadline in place at this time.
Jurgens told the board that weekly detours and extra grading add concrete costs for county crews and fuel and time costs for residents, saying these are the types of impacts liquidated damages are meant to address when a deadline is missed.
He also reported that the contractor for Rockford Road was on track to finish by the following Friday except for final striping; crews were addressing bridge cleanouts, cold patching and culvert installations at other sites. The meeting record shows work continuing on East 6 Blue Springs–Wymore and that the county will schedule additional shoulder and seeding work ahead of the Cattlemen—s Ball.
No formal motion to change the contract deadline or to impose liquidated damages was recorded at the meeting; supervisors discussed accountability and agreed to leave the June 1 deadline in place for the time being.
The Road and Bridge summary included specific timing and sequencing details for several structures and noted the county—s use of GRAMA (state grant) options for one culvert removed from the construction contract.
