La Verne approves change orders for Brookside Park; officials warn of added costs and grant risk

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Nov. 4 approved change orders 3 and 4 for the Brookside Park construction project with Solomon Builders, after staff and several aldermen debated geotechnical decisions, potential extra costs and the effect on state grant funding.

Supporters said finishing the park is important for the south side of La Verne and residents who have waited for the project. Opponents and some board members pressed staff for details about why a geotechnical study was not done and whether more change orders might be required.

City staff said the design engineer expressly chose not to perform a geotechnical report and instead included a construction approach to address soils once exposed. "A geotechnical report is not like radar…there's at best a 50/50 chance that a geotechnical report would have found these unsuitable soils," the project engineer told the board, and staff said the contractor's geotechnical consultant confirmed the chosen mitigation steps were followed on site. The board was told that the immediate additional cost discussed at the meeting was about $76,000.

Board members pressed whether more change orders were possible. Staff said the largest risks are behind them but acknowledged that with earthwork "you don't know until you proof roll it," adding that additional work remains possible depending on subsurface conditions.

Funding questions were central to debate. Staff said the project is supported by a matching TDEC grant and that if the city does not complete the project it would forfeit the state construction reimbursement. One staff member said the city "would not receive the $201,008.76" tied to the state match and that the city currently would owe roughly $14,682 back to the state related to design matching amounts if the board halted the project. Staff also said about $108,000 has already been spent on construction-related work. Separately, the board was told $90,000 was budgeted this year for playground equipment for the overall park program, and staff noted a pending Blue Cross Blue Shield grant application that — if awarded and if allowable to be moved — could offset equipment costs.

Alderman [name listed in transcript as speaker 2] said the cost concerns were "valid" and questioned whether the money might be better spent on other priorities such as police funding or renovations. Other aldermen and staff emphasized the project's long wait and the neighborhood's interest in completing the park.

After discussion, Alderman Haas moved to approve the change orders; Alderman Hobbs seconded. The motion passed; the board instructed staff to proceed with the construction under the approved change orders.

The board was repeatedly warned that terminating the contract now would likely leave the city with incomplete earthwork, require repayment of some state funds already provided, and result in additional termination payments to the contractor.