College Place council OKs $30,400 boost to post office crosswalk engineering contract

The College Place City Council on Jan. 14 authorized a $30,400 amendment to the engineering contract for the downtown post office crosswalk, bringing the total authorized engineering fees to $69,030.

Council and staff said the work on the crosswalk has been delayed and lengthened by several issues, including a midproject reimbursement question raised by the Washington State Department of Transportation, a change in WSDOT local program staff and additional engineering and construction-management needs that arose after the work began. "We're waiting on the signs for the rectangular rapid flashing beacons. Came in as the wrong color, so they're getting replaced with the correct signs," said Mr. McAndrews (staff member), who presented the project update.

The council heard that some engineering invoices have already been paid and that the city must act quickly: Jan. 15 was identified as the last day to pay 2024 invoices to preserve reimbursement eligibility. Staff recommended the contract increase because the project had been handled through an on-call engineering task rather than an itemized project budget, and additional work — including scope changes and construction management over a longer schedule — increased the consultant hours.

Assistant public-works staff and the council said WSDOT local-program staff initially questioned whether early work would be eligible for reimbursement; staff later told the council the department requested that the city submit all project expenses and that reimbursement for the earlier work now "sounds probable," though not guaranteed. Mr. Sotelo (staff member) described the process with the WSDOT program as a "big kerfuffle" that required extra documentation after a change in state staff.

Council member Peterson noted the increase effectively doubles the original engineering authorization and pressed staff on whether construction costs were covered; staff said construction was covered separately and that the amendment addressed design and construction-management fees. "Construction costs are covered, to my knowledge," staff told the council, noting the change applied to engineering and construction oversight rather than the contractor’s work.

Council member Espinosa moved to authorize the public-works director (or designee) to sign the contract amendment; Council member Williams seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Staff said the project is nearly complete and that final signage and the rectangular rapid flashing beacons should be installed and functional within about a week, pending delivery of corrected signs from the vendor. The council directed staff to continue coordinating with WSDOT on reimbursement documentation.