Public Works staff told the commissioners they are bringing a cluster of year-end contract amendments and supplemental agreements forward to complete ongoing projects next year. The county engineer said the Woodbrook wastewater treatment plant evaluation (Gibson Olsen) will be extended to 2027 with no change in cost while several as-needed environmental and engineering contracts will be extended or increased to cover remaining work.

Specific increases described at the briefing included a $50,000 addition for Ecological Land Services to continue permitting and fish-trapping support, and a $100,000 supplemental to Engineering Solutions LLC for landfill gas construction support and QA/QC tied to the recently awarded vertical gas-well contract. Staff also described extending general civil engineering as-needed contracts and adding $100,000 to a PBS Engineering task allowance to finish a transportation system plan and other open task orders.

For motion items, staff said they will seek an extension and increase for Jacobs/Delve Underground (as-needed geotechnical) from $300,000 to $600,000 to cover planned landslide studies (each about $100,000) and emergency responses. They also described a $100,000 construction-phase supplement for OTEC Inc. related to the Allender Road bridge replacement (new contract maximum $462,069). Commissioners asked about WSDOT-approved negotiated hourly rates and whether grant funding covered increases; staff confirmed many of these are allowed within existing grant obligations.

Separately, staff asked the board to obligate $499,500 in preliminary engineering and right-of-way funding to pursue a Coal Creek Road improvements project (Milepost 1.44–2.0). The engineer said the total project is expected to cost about $3,600,000 and would be 86.5% federally funded with the county responsible for roughly 13.5% of construction costs; the project aims to correct vertical curves, add shoulders and reconstruct the roadway. The board was told it may decline to obligate the funds, but if it chooses to proceed the PE/RW obligation is the next formal step.