Maumee council presses for clearer oversight after unpaid change order was paid and later approved

MAUMEE, Ohio — The Maumee City Council on July 21 took up a cluster of change orders tied to the city—s Uptown sanitary-sewer rehabilitation project, approved the most recent contested change order and unanimously directed the finance committee to recommend revisions to Chapter 103.05 of the city charter to clarify oversight and limits on change orders.

The action followed questions from several council members and members of the public about when and how change orders were authorized and why one sizable invoice was paid before formal council approval. Council voted to approve the consideration of change order No. 22 for Helms Construction and passed a separate motion instructing the finance committee to develop recommended revisions to section 103.05 for presentation at the next scheduled council meeting.

Councilmember Phil Linebaugh moved to instruct the finance committee to recommend revisions to section 103.05, including dollar limits on individual and cumulative change orders, and the motion passed on a roll call showing unanimous support from councilmembers present. The motion was intended to respond to concerns that dozens of interim change orders had been paid or recorded without clear corresponding council approvals in the meeting packets.

Councilmember Margo Puffenberger raised the core question that led to the referral: "I'm wondering why on here it says that council had approved the first 21 change orders. But, yeah, I don't I don't find I can't find…