Council approves several pay requests and change orders; staff addresses dead ash tree removals on West Indian Creek project

The Nevada City Council approved a series of pay requests and change orders for ongoing wastewater and stormwater projects and discussed oversight and tree removal related to the West Indian Creek project.

Approvals included pay request #41 to Boomerang Corp for Wastewater Treatment Improvements Phase 3 (amount listed as $0), pay request #4 to RW Excavating Solutions for West Indian Creek SRF Project A for $49,703.28, and pay request #1 to Construct for Tributary to West Indian Creek SRF Project B for $100,614.78. The council also approved change order #1 for the Tributary to West Indian Creek SRF Project B from Construct for $21,005.50 and change order #2 for Oak Park Estates Trio from Mid State Solution LLC for $3,500.

During discussion of the West Indian Creek work, staff noted that several dead ash trees were uncovered as the contractor cleared foliage and that those trees had not been identified in earlier reviews. Staff said the contractor who removed ash trees for the city charged $670 per tree under a separate arrangement; earlier estimates had been higher. City staff attributed the oversight to use of older tree‑inventory data during project planning and said future projects will include on‑the‑ground walks to confirm which trees should remain.

Council members praised contractor performance on prior work and approved the pay requests and change orders as presented. Staff said they will continue to monitor tree removal decisions and incorporate improved site inspections into future projects.