Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wastewater Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee OKs change order to restore third digester at Fletcher plant, adds $943,883 and 304 days
Summary
A Tuscaloosa City committee approved a change order for the Fletcher Phase 2 improvements to restore digester No. 3, adding $943,883 to the construction contract and extending the timeline by 304 days; staff said funds will come from a reassessed lagoon project budget.
Tuscaloosa City committee members approved a change order to restore the third digester in the Fletcher Phase 2 wastewater project, a move staff said will add $943,883 to the contract and extend completion by 304 days. Speaker 2, who presented the item, said inspectors found the lids on digesters 1 and 2 needed replacement once sludge was removed, and the contractor’s earlier work and bids made it practical to re-add digester 3 to the active contract rather than defer it.
Speaker 2 said a recent study of the wastewater lagoons showed the lagoon project’s budget can cover required sludge removal and still allow transfer of funds to pay for the digester work. "We believe that number is 943,883, which you will see as a budget amendment and at finance commission," Speaker 2 said during the presentation. Council members pressed for clarification about original contract totals and how taking lagoon funds would affect the lagoon work; staff responded that the lagoon study indicates 8–10 years of capacity can be restored within the modified budget and that remaining lagoon components will still be completed.
Several council members questioned line-item details and original phase-2 contract amounts; Speaker 2 summarized that the original bid was roughly $12,000,000, later increased by lid replacements to about $13.3 million, and that with the proposed change order the contract amount would reach approximately $14.2 million. A motion to approve the change order was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.
The committee’s action authorizes staff to proceed with the change order and to present the corresponding budget amendment to the finance committee. The motion passed by voice vote; the record did not include a roll-call tally of individual votes.
