Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Roads topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Heath council approves $84,550 design contract for Meadowview Road, asks staff to return with remaining scope
Summary
The Heath City Council approved a reduced, design-only engineering agreement for Meadowview Road with Schaumburg & Polk not to exceed $84,550, while directing staff to return with the remaining services and cost differences. Council members raised concerns about staff bandwidth, right-of-way work and indemnification language during debate.
The Heath City Council on April 15 approved a not-to-exceed $84,550 contract for Schaumburg & Polk to perform design services for Meadowview Road, with council direction that staff return with the remaining scope and cost delta for future consideration.
The contract approved is for design-only services: reviewing city drainage standards and the flood ordinance, conducting a site visit and a detailed topographic survey, researching existing right-of-way and easements, and producing preliminary and final engineering design. City staff will handle bidding and construction management if the council moves the project into construction.
“After feedback from council, I reached back out to SBI and asked them just to send over a scope to do design only,” a staff member leading the item said during the discussion. The item had previously been presented as a broader proposal with a not-to-exceed amount of about $160,000; council members confirmed the $84,550 figure represents a narrowed scope.
Council members pressed staff on several practical concerns. One asked whether the change would place additional burdens on staff time; the staff member replied, “I can cover this bandwidth if it pleases the council,” and explained the city expects to advertise construction for roughly two months and typically start construction within about three months from advertisement.
Councilors also questioned a $17,600 line identified as a right-of-way/easement determination while the contract’s exclusions list a full easement survey as not included. The staff lead clarified the contract will identify existing city-owned right-of-way and easements but will not include acquiring additional easements or preparing documents to procure them under the reduced scope.
A council member raised concerns about indemnification language in the contract; legal staff explained the city cannot unilaterally indemnify another party, and that mutual indemnification language appears elsewhere in the contract where applicable.
After debate, a motion to approve the $84,550 design agreement and instruct staff to return with the delta of services and costs passed unanimously.
The council’s vote leaves open the earlier, larger design-and-construction-administration scope; councilors and staff discussed the option of bringing the remaining services back to a future agenda if additional funds or staffing arrangements are required.
No construction contract was approved; the action was limited to the design agreement and a direction to report back on the remainder of services.
