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Council approves multi‑part time extensions and change orders for Port Acres drainage project after delays and utility conflicts
Summary
The council approved two change orders extending the Port Acres drainage project completion and increasing the overall contract to cover unforeseen utility relocations, asbestos abatements and other costs; members pressed staff for better reporting and regular contractor updates.
Port Arthur city council voted Monday to approve time extensions and budget adjustments tied to long‑running Port Acres drainage work after staff described unexpected utility conflicts and weather delays.
City staff and the project engineer told the council crews encountered multiple historic pipelines on FM‑365 and a 16‑inch water main located differently than shown on as‑built maps; those findings required relocation, abatement and additional utility work. Council then approved (a) a time extension request that added calendar days to the ALCO LLC construction contract and (b) a separate change order to pay contractors for utility relocation and pipeline removals. Together the adjustments raised the project time and added about $832,006 for the work described by staff.
Council members pressed staff about why delays were brought forward late in the schedule. Public Works and project managers explained they provide monthly field reports and that, because the Port Acres project is federally funded, the grant manager asked the city to bundle time‑extension requests rather than submit incremental changes. The city’s construction manager and inspector were cited as the on‑site recordkeepers; the city manager said staff will compile the daily reports and make them available to council.
Council discussion focused on several recurring themes: the need for better and earlier reporting to council, the presence of undocumented underground utilities and pipelines that were not shown on historic map layers, and whether contracts should include or more frequently report the so‑called “rain days” and other delays. Several council members urged including regular 60–90 day contractor progress briefings in future bid requirements to surface problems earlier and reduce the need for large, late change orders.
Why it matters: Port Acres is a core drainage project intended to reduce local flooding and protect neighborhoods and local infrastructure. The work is partly federally funded and therefore involves detailed documentation for the state and federal administrators; late discoveries of hidden pipelines and other utilities slowed work and generated additional cost and schedule impacts.
What’s next: Staff said they will deliver the contractor’s daily and monthly reports to council and propose a policy addition for future bids requiring periodic contractor briefings. Council approved the change orders to keep the project in compliance with funding rules and to allow construction to continue.
