High Point finance committee approves multiple contracts, property purchase and opioid fund allocation

The High Point City Council Finance Committee on May 15 approved several vendor contracts, agreed to buy a property for a shared-use commercial kitchen and directed a portion of opioid settlement money to evidence-based addiction treatment programs.

The committee approved a $160,000 change order to the Burford Construction contract for tree-trimming and clearing work on the Johnson Street–Sandy Ridge project, increasing that contract’s total to $1,430,000, and voted to award contracts ranging from replacement radios for transit vehicles to a new facility maintenance building and HVAC replacements at the Eastside Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The actions matter because they allocate capital and operating funds, authorize purchases needed for public services and set aside local opioid-settlement dollars for treatment — all steps that will affect municipal operations and planned infrastructure work in High Point.

Tyler Barrier, electric utilities director, told the committee the Burford change order covers unanticipated clearing and higher labor rates: "we'd like to execute a change order for $160,000 to bring up the new contract amount to 1,430,000.00." Barrier said funding exists in the department’s budget but the extra amount was not part of the original contract.

Damon Duquesne, assistant city manager, presented an annual update to the public transportation agency safety plan and said the plan must be revised yearly because the city…