Willard council pauses Highway 89 crossings project, demands itemized invoice before paying consultant fees

The Willard City Council voted to halt work on a planned Highway 89 crossings project and asked staff to obtain an itemized invoice from the Utah Department of Transportation for approximately $50,000 in preparatory services before the city pays or commits to a higher construction bid.

Councilors said the latest bid for the project rose sharply and covered fewer crossings than originally planned, prompting concern about scope and cost. City staff said the original plan contemplated five or six crossings while the most recent bids covered only three crossings at a price that the council found excessive.

The mayor asked for an itemized list of deliverables and told engineering staff not to accept unspecified invoices. "I won't sign that check until I get a detailed invoice on what they're charging us for," the mayor said during the discussion.

City engineers and officials said they believe some crossing work could be completed more cheaply by boring or other means rather than the open-cut approach described in the higher bid, and they noted state restrictions on cutting asphalt and obligations around compaction testing that can affect method and cost.

After discussion, Council member Jake made a motion to stop work on the Highway 89 project; Rod seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. Councilors also directed staff to press UDOT for a detailed, itemized invoice and deliverables tied to the $50,000 figure before the city pays any termination or transition fees.

Staff said the city could still opt to continue the project after review of the invoice and engineering options, but council members voiced skepticism that the bid's math matched likely costs and said they wanted clearer documentation to justify any further spending.