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Oak Grove council rejects $75,000 foundation change order after contested debate
Summary
City engineer recommended deepening interior footings for a city building project to reduce winter'construction risk; councilors questioned the added cost and contractor margin, and after extended debate the council moved to reject change order number 5 and directed the contractor to proceed with the original design while staff monitors the work.
Oak Grove councilors on Nov. 10 debated and then rejected a change order to deepen concrete footings on a city building project after an extended discussion about schedule, risk and cost.
Project engineer Randy told the council the contractor's schedule shifted construction into winter, exposing interior shallow footings to freeze'thaw risks. To reduce that risk he proposed deepening several interior footings and other concrete enhancements estimated at about $75,000 (he later said a reduced scope could be roughly $50,000). "We're looking at a potential problem," Randy said, calling the step "risk management" and arguing deeper footings would avoid future cracking and remedial work.
Several council members pressed for alternatives, noting the contract includes winter-blanket and heating approaches and that contractors and special inspectors said temporary measures might suffice. Concerns included the additional cost, the use of contingency funds, and whether the city's procurement and oversight had anticipated the late schedule change.
After debate, Council Member West made a motion to reject change order number 5 (to decline the proposed foundation deepening); the motion carried and staff will proceed with the project under the original design while monitoring conditions and communicating with the contractor. Randy said he will notify the contractor and continue inspections.
What happens next: The contractor will proceed as designed; project staff will track site conditions and perform required testing during the winter work. The council recorded objections and asked staff to be vigilant about quality-control testing and schedule impacts.
