Claremore approves amendment to Burns & McDonnell water‑treatment contract, trims price and extends schedule

The Claremore City Council approved Contract Amendment No. 1 with Burns & McDonnell on a design‑build Phase 2 upgrade to the city water treatment plant, reducing the contract amount and allowing additional time for construction.

City staff said the amendment reduces the contract from $28,000,000 to $27,000,660 after value engineering and by performing some preliminary work in house. Paul, a staff member presenting the item, said, “the intention of this contract amendment is to reduce the contract with them by the amount that they were able to value and engineer out, as well as the amount that we're doing in house.” He also told the council the contractor is “scheduled to mobilize in the next 30 days.”

The change follows a review that found labor contracts and other costs coming in higher than originally estimated. Paul told the council labor costs at one point were about $3,000,000 over the original $28,000,000 estimate and described the city and Burns & McDonnell as negotiating value‑engineering changes to reduce that overrun. Paul said the project is funded through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and that “the money has to be spent by the end of 2026.”

Councilmembers asked about the schedule and the reason for the time extension. Paul said the planned on‑site construction window is roughly two years from mobilization and that weather and procurement delays constrain how quickly work can proceed. He framed the project as part of a state pilot for design‑build delivery with the Department of Environmental Quality, saying how the project proceeds could inform how DEQ supports similar projects in other Oklahoma communities.

The council voted to approve the amendment. Recorded roll‑call votes during the item show affirmative votes from Cotton, Tom Feldman, Caldwell, Callender, Long, Nick Sutton and Erwin. No recorded ‘no’ or abstain votes appeared in the transcript for the item.

The amendment and schedule change do not remove other procurement or regulatory steps noted by staff; Paul told the council Burns & McDonnell and the city have been coordinating with state agencies to remain in compliance with competitive‑procurement rules and DEQ oversight.

Council and staff comments framed the approval as a pragmatic response to rising labor costs and as a way to keep the project on track while meeting the OWRB spending deadline. The city said a pre‑mobilization meeting was scheduled later in the week.