Richmond Sanitary District approves $17,500 Cummins Electric change order; board signs off on $705,047 in invoices and tables 2026 budget

Richmond Sanitary District commissioners on Sept. 9 approved a $17,500 change order to contract 01/2024 with Cummins Electric to repair two leaking high‑voltage transformers and approved more than $700,000 in invoices while tabling formal adoption of the district's 2026 budget.

The change order was presented on behalf of Jeff Miller by a staff member who said Cummins Electric performed preventive maintenance earlier this summer and discovered the leaks. "The work on the transformer was time sensitive and needed to be completed before power was planned to be turned off," the staff member said. The board approved the $17,500 increase to the contract by voice vote.

According to the staff presentation, repairs included regasketing the transformers, installing new pressure gauges with T fittings and adding roughly 100 gallons of mineral oil to one transformer. Staff said the repairs are expected to add about 10 to 15 years of service life to each unit and noted that individual replacement transformers were on the order of $50,000 to $60,000 each.

The board also approved invoices from check dates in August 2025 totaling $705,047.36. Notable line items listed by staff included two invoices from Commonwealth Engineers Inc. for approximately $30,000 and $101,616.13; a $78,000 invoice from Cummins Electric Inc.; a $320,937.42 invoice from Pyramid Equipment Inc.; $23,730 to Quality Repair Service; and two invoices from Scott Door Service Inc. for $13,242.62 and $10,105.67. The motion to approve the invoices passed by voice vote.

Separately, the board accepted a conflict of interest disclosure form for Veronica Bowling of the sanitary department. Staff said that, "by statute, anytime there is a conflict of interest it must be presented in a public meeting," and the board voted to accept the disclosure as presented.

When the agenda reached a recommendation to adopt Resolution 5-2025 (the district's 2026 budget), the board tabled the item to a later meeting; no adoption vote occurred.

After the sanitary board adjourned, the Richmond Sanitary District Stormwater Management Board met. That board approved minutes and invoices from August 2025 totaling $46,441.34; staff identified a $36,000 invoice to B and B Construction as a large line item. The stormwater board also tabled its resolution to adopt the 2026 budget.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Board Minutes and Budget Workshop Minutes (08/26/2025) — motion approved (voice vote). - Approval of invoices (Sanitary) from check dates August 2025 — total $705,047.36; motion approved (voice vote). - Conflict of interest disclosure: Veronica Bowling — accepted as presented (voice vote). - Change order to contract 01/2024 with Cummins Electric — increase of $17,500; motion approved (voice vote). - Recommendation to adopt Resolution 5-2025 (2026 budget, Sanitary) — tabled to a later meeting. - Stormwater: Approval of minutes (08/26/2025) — approved (voice vote). - Stormwater: Approval of invoices from check dates August 2025 — total $46,441.34 (includes $36,000 to B and B Construction); approved (voice vote). - Stormwater: Recommendation to adopt Resolution 1-2025 (2026 budget) — tabled to a later meeting.

The meeting included routine procedural business and brief staff presentations; no roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes. The board did not adopt the 2026 budget at this session and will consider it at a later meeting.