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Council authorizes additional change orders for Veterans Memorial Park trails; transcript shows staff/council numbers differ
Summary
Council authorized the city manager to sign change orders for the Veterans Memorial Park Trails/transit connection corridor project after staff described unforeseen site conditions and design issues. Staff recommended a relatively small additional amount; the motion and council vote cited a larger figure — the transcript records both figures.
Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betts briefed the council on the Veterans Memorial Park Trails project, a phase‑1 pedestrian and connectivity project that will link to the light‑rail station. Betts said Granite Construction was the prime contractor and that the original construction contract totaled about $2,647,493 with a 10% contingency of $264,749. During construction crews encountered unforeseen conditions — including the need for shoring adjacent to bridge abutments, undocumented stormwater pipes not in the city’s GIS, revised wall heights caused by grade differences in the park, additional tree removals and extra mobilizations, and a thin road base on 58th Avenue West that required additional overlay and sidewalk adjustments.
Betts said those unplanned items required change orders and staff recommended allocation of grant funds to finish the work. In the staff presentation he described an additional funding request “not to exceed $283,758” drawn from the project’s grant sources (Sound Transit, Puget Sound Regional Council and the Federal Highway Administration) so the contractor could be paid for relevant change orders and the project could be completed (lighting, handrails, plantings). He noted lighting and handrails were long lead items and some mitigation plantings must be installed during the proper planting season.
Council moved to authorize the city manager to sign change orders for the construction agreement with Granite Construction. The motion as read on the dais stated an amount “not to exceed an additional $2,283,758.” The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. The transcript therefore records a numeric discrepancy between the staff‑recommended figure presented by the director ($283,758) and the value specified in the council motion ($2,283,758). The motion on the record authorized the city manager to sign change orders up to the larger figure shown in the motion; staff said grant proceeds, not general fund or CIP funds, will cover the expenditures. Council was told the combined grant funding originally budgeted for both project phases totaled roughly $6 million for design and construction of both phase 1 (trails) and phase 2 (pedestrian plaza).
Quotes are taken from the staff presentation and council audio transcript.
