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Rockwall County annex project advances; court approves three change orders
Summary
County officials heard a construction update on the Rockwall County Annex project, were told the job remains on budget and on schedule despite rainy weather, and unanimously approved three change orders for AT&T conduits, an exterior material substitution (credit), and a lift-station controller relocation.
Rockwall County commissioners received an update on the county annex construction and approved three change orders for the project during their public meeting.
The owner's advocate for the annex project, Nico Parks of Bridal Associates, told the court work is ongoing and that the project remains “on budget and on schedule” despite recent rain that has delayed exterior pours. Parks listed recent onsite activity including installation of the rolled-on vapor membrane at the clerestory, interior electrical rough-in, fine grading for the fire-lane subgrade, overhead ductwork and variable-air-volume box placement, plumbing fixture carrier installation, framing and drywall work for electrical rooms, and arrival of major equipment such as rooftop units, the transfer switch and the generator. Parks said QA/QC inspections are under way, including an upcoming water test of the fluid membrane application and a preliminary accessibility site inspection.
Commissioner Stacy summarized three proposed change orders and asked Parks to describe them. The court approved: PCO 18 to add two 4-inch AT&T conduits from the data room out to the property line so the carrier can pull fiber; PCO 19 to substitute an exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) in lieu of the originally-specified stucco (the substitution carries a $13,500 credit); and PCO 21 to relocate the electrical controller adjacent to the lift station at the requester’s direction to ease future maintenance. Parks said the AT&T conduits reflected requirements that were unclear at buyout and so the work had to be added once carrier specifications were finalized.
Commissioners asked about the frequency and scale of change orders on projects of this size; Parks said it is common to have pending change order requests and contingencies are included in the project budget. He estimated total change orders to date in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 on “a $15,000,000 or $16,000,000 project,” language he used to provide scale.
The motion to approve change orders 18, 19 and 21 passed unanimously by those present.
The court discussed upcoming paperwork and contingencies related to the broader package of American Rescue Plan-funded work that overlaps with the annex project. County staff said they are coordinating with the auditor’s office and other consultants to consolidate accounting entries and present consolidated change-order and contingency adjustments at one future session to avoid repeated budget transfers.
The county will continue to monitor weather windows for exterior pours (fire lanes and utility crossings) and the project team will return to the court with additional change orders and a revised phasing plan as work progresses.
