DeSoto council approves $317,107 change order to centralize security at McAllen Park aquatic center

The DeSoto City Council on April 15 unanimously authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute change order No. 8 with Manhattan Post L Construction for up to $317,107 to manage access control and security installation at the McAllen Park aquatic and recreation center.

City officials said the money will be moved from a soft-cost line item into construction costs rather than increasing the project’s overall budget. ‘‘The total cost of the project won't change. We're just transferring funds basically,’’ Chris Glover said during the council meeting. Glover identified himself as the parts director presenting the item.

Council members pressed staff on the reason for the change order and on post‑warranty liability. Glover said Manhattan and its subcontractors had difficulty finding a vendor willing to do only the conduit and wiring while leaving camera installation to the city, so consolidating the work with one contractor was cleaner from a liability and troubleshooting standpoint.

‘‘If something happens to the system and you start looking, was it the cameras or was it the conduit and the wiring? … it's just more cleaner to actually have someone come in to do both,’’ Glover said. Council member Diana Marks asked whether staff anticipated any costs beyond the not‑to‑exceed amount; Glover replied, ‘‘No. It is not to exceed the amount that we actually had budgeted.’’

Several council members raised concerns about the length of the warranty for the consolidated scope. Glover said the current contract provides a one‑year warranty on the work and that longer warranties could be negotiated but ‘‘it comes at a cost.’’ Council member Crystal Chisholm asked staff to pursue a longer warranty if possible; city staff said they would return to council with cost options rather than negotiating an extended warranty without council approval.

Council member Nicole Raphael confirmed the new cameras will be consistent with the system used at other city parks and connected to police access. Raphael and others noted the installation is permanent and will be done within the project’s existing timeline.

The motion to approve the change order was made by Mayor Pro Tem Leticia Hughes and seconded by Council member Andre Byrd. The council took a hand vote after technical problems with the voting pads; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff said the change order consolidates responsibilities so troubleshooting will be handled through a single contractor during the one‑year warranty, and any longer‑term warranty or maintenance arrangement would be negotiated and returned to council for approval.

The city did not provide figures for potential extended‑warranty costs at the meeting and said contingency funds could be considered later if council chooses to purchase longer coverage.