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Council approves $7,025 amendment to Durham Freeway Study for Spanish translations of engagement summaries
Summary
Council authorized a $7,025 amendment to WSP USA's supplemental agreement to translate executive summaries and recommendations into Spanish, a correction staff described as addressing an earlier scoping oversight; council discussed consultant roles and community practitioners' credit and approved the amendment unanimously.
The Durham City Council voted unanimously to authorize Amendment No. 1 to Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with WSP USA, adding $7,025 to the Durham Freeway Study contract for Spanish translation of executive summaries and recommendations.
Staff said the translation was omitted in the original scope and must be added so the city can share findings and recommendations with Spanish-speaking residents who participated in the studys engagement phase. Director Egan and a WSP representative explained the amendment is intended to make the projects draft recommendations and summaries available in both English and Spanish as the city concludes the vision-and-values engagement and moves into an alternatives phase.
Councilmembers pressed staff on two points: whether the translation work duplicated or displaced community-based practitioners who carried out engagement, and whether relying on city staff rather than the contracted outreach practitioner could erode community trust. Director Egan said the translations will summarize work already completed and will be shared back to the Spanish-speaking community; staff confirmed the amendment corrects a scoping omission rather than represents a new engagement contract. The council approved the amendment 7-0; the revised contract total is $438,825.87.
