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Committee moves MB Con final change order to debate after contested closeout
Summary
Columbia County Public Works staff presented a final closeout change order for MB Con at two water treatment plants. The committee sent the item to debate after commissioners questioned added costs, liquidated damages and prior change orders.
The Columbia County Public Works and Engineering Services Committee on March 25 moved to debate a contested final change order closing out MB Con’s work at two county water treatment plants.
Committee members heard staff say the final negotiated closeout amount for MB Con is $386,949.83, and that the county assessed $146,000 in liquidated damages. Staff recommended approval of the change order to conclude the project and settle outstanding claims.
The project encountered several specific issues identified by staff, including a discrepancy between 1978 plan drawings that called for a 20-inch water line and an actual 24-inch line discovered in the field; chemical incompatibility that caused PVC joint failures and required replacement with stainless steel; and unsuitable soils that required additional work. Staff said some changes were requested by the county during construction and that negotiations had reduced earlier contractor requests.
Mr. Gordon, a county staff member who presented the item, told the committee that the final accounting showed the project "came in on budget and on time" for portions of the work and that staff recommended approval of the closeout change order. Gordon also described the assessed liquidated damages and the negotiations that followed.
One committee member moved to send the MB Con closeout to debate, and the motion was seconded and carried. During discussion members noted the long-running nature of the dispute — staff said work began in 2021–2022 and that negotiations had been under way since last August — and that liquidated damages are contractually prescribed but can be difficult to enforce in settlement discussions. A staff member told the committee the county had negotiated down a larger set of contractor requests and that further negotiation could continue if the committee wished.
The committee did not adopt the closeout as part of consent; instead the committee approved a motion to debate the MB Con change order further. No final approval of contract closeout was recorded in the transcript during this meeting.
The committee requested additional time for debate and negotiation options before taking a final vote on the MB Con closeout.
Looking ahead, staff said legal action remained a possibility if the parties do not reach agreement, and that further negotiation could reduce the county’s exposure before any court or claims process.
