Old Highway 20 contractor misses schedule; council sets a 'line in the sand' and plans possible special meeting

Pryor Creek City Council was told that Glover and Associates did not meet its scheduled on-site work for the Old Highway 20 project and that the contractor’s revised completion timeline has slipped. The council discussed liquidated damages, the contractor’s bonding, and contingency options including county assistance or cancelling the contract if work is not completed.

According to an engineering update read to the council, Glover and Associates committed to complete the project by June 21, 2025. The report said the contractor had completed most patching but had identified a few additional areas that needed repair; the company planned to return to the site but did not appear as scheduled. Remaining tasks listed in the update included addressing the not-approved patching, installing a leveling course and beginning the asphalt overlay; the schedule provided completion of asphalt (excluding striping) by June 21.

Council members and the mayor expressed frustration at missed appearances and slow progress. The mayor called the weekend deadline “the red line in the sand,” saying that if the contractor did not finish by Saturday, the council would convene a special meeting the following Monday to consider next steps. The council discussed that liquidated damages per the contract began accruing after April 3 and are set at $500 per day; staff said the damages continue to accrue and that they had contacted the contractor’s bonding company (name not specified in the transcript).

Council also discussed asking county officials for assistance in completing work if needed. Staff gave a rough cost estimate discussed informally: county assistance was described as approximately $65 per ton for pickup and $7 per ton to lay asphalt (figures given as an example of typical county rates and not final). The council discussed operational steps already taken to mitigate safety issues — city crews reinstalled warning signs, added sandbags and drove t-posts to hold signs at a problematic milling area near Cemetery Hill.

Motion and scheduling: Council members agreed to tentatively schedule a special council meeting for the Monday following the missed deadline. The council discussed holding that meeting at 5:30 p.m.; the meeting would be cancelled if the contractor completed the work by Saturday. The meeting was discussed as “tentative” in the transcript and staff were instructed to post and coordinate as required for special meetings.

Background and next steps: Staff reported ongoing contact with the contractor’s bond company. If work is not completed by the stated weekend deadline, the council indicated it would pursue options including assessing liquidated damages, discussing contract termination, and exploring county or other contractors to complete the work. Council members asked staff to be prepared with cost estimates and legal options for the special meeting.