Commission approves $275,000 Baker Park change order after heated debate with engineer and contractor
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Summary
The board approved a $275,000 change order for Baker Park improvements, drawing concern from several commissioners who said parts of the work reflected design omissions attributable to the project engineer.
Effingham County commissioners authorized a change order totaling about $275,000 for the Baker Park lake and recreation improvements project on Oct. 7, after an extended discussion that split commissioners over how to allocate responsibility between the prime contractor and the design engineer.
Scope and cost: County staff presented the change order as a mix of three categories: costs the county requested early in construction that were not in the original contract; omitted items that arguably should have been in the design; and contractor rework to make the project functional. Staff said roughly $44,000 of the total represented rework by the contractor, while the remainder was attributed to omissions and additional scope. The recommended approval was to pay the contractor to keep construction moving while the county negotiates any recovery from the engineer.
Board debate: Commissioners sharply questioned why the county would pay for what one called “basic” design items — for example, missing geotechnical work and drainage details — that led to added fill, regrading and redesign of amenities such as the pickleball courts. Several commissioners expressed gratitude to C. Merrill Construction and project manager Clay Morgan for identifying issues and keeping the project moving, but said the engineer (POND) should bear greater share of costs. The county attorney advised the board that legal remedies should be reviewed and that the county could pursue cost recovery but should not halt contractor work midstream.
Why it matters: The change order increases the project cost and raises questions about project management, contract scope and the county’s review procedures for design documents. Commissioners said they want stronger oversight and clarified responsibilities for engineers and contractors on future capital projects.
Next steps: The board approved the change order to prevent further delay; staff said they will seek negotiation or remedies with the design engineer and explore program-manager oversight for future projects. The county also recorded roughly 74 extra calendar days of impact (including weather) and will work out any schedule or cost allocations with the contractor and engineer.
