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Board approves multiple construction change orders; transformer, sinkholes and site grading drive extra costs
Summary
Mercer County school leaders approved multiple construction change orders for an ongoing school building project after presentations outlining added work tied to utility requirements, site sinkholes and design changes.
The Mercer County Board of Education approved multiple change orders tied to the district’s ongoing school construction project after staff and contractors detailed site complications and added work.
Presenters described a range of items that increased contract costs: revised roof insulation and slope work (change order 11), added security camera locations (change order 12 and subsequent related items), and multiple electrical and site adjustments after the utility (KU) required the transformer concrete pad be moved farther from the building. Staff said the transformer pad had to be relocated to meet KU’s clearances, which required additional concrete, wiring and trenching.
Board members and design staff also discussed underlying site conditions that were not in the original plan. Presenters showed alternative athletic-field siting options and noted low depressions and sinkhole-prone soils on parts of the site. That geotechnical complexity would raise grading, retaining-wall and utility costs for certain layouts, while other options would require longer access roads and additional earthwork.
Several line items with dollar amounts were discussed in open session. Presenters cited an electrical-related add of $3,054.10 for one item and a concrete add of $2,996.67 for another; the board also reviewed an asphalt line item referenced in the meeting (amount not clearly specified in the transcript). Board members questioned whether errors in design or bid documents should be charged to the contractor or absorbed by the district; presenters said some items stemmed from utility requirements and unforeseeable subsurface conditions.
After debate, the board moved and approved a package of change orders and related contractor pay items by roll-call votes. Members asked staff to continue pursuing cost reductions where possible and to document decisions about which change-order costs are chargeable to contractors, to designers, or to the district’s contingency.
Board discussion also covered access for spectators, ADA parking options near proposed fields, storage for track equipment if grandstands are reconfigured, and the likely need for retaining walls and geotechnical remediation for some field locations. Staff said additional site design work would follow, and financing for change orders will be reported to the board as they finalize contractor settlements.
