Commission approves CDBG airport-access change orders, extends substantial completion date to 07/31/2026

Coffey County commissioners approved two change orders tied to the Airport Access Road project, including a CDBG-driven timeline extension and a construction change order to address field conditions.

Project staff told the board KDOT accepted the county's drainage analysis and that the design team recommended a modest time extension to accommodate seasonal work; the commission approved change order number 6 revising the substantial completion date to July 31, 2026. Staff also presented a change order to add connections to 20th Road (culvert, aggregate, hauling and grading) and negotiated mobilization and grading figures; commissioners later approved a $38,117.26 change order for Phase 2 work.

Why it matters: The change orders align the project schedule with CDBG grant requirements and authorize limited additional work to tie the development to adjacent infrastructure while seeking to minimize weather-related rework. Commissioners discussed whether the county should absorb corrective grading costs created by earlier cuts and asked staff to continue negotiating mobilization charges with contractors.

What the board approved: A no-cost time-extension change order setting the substantial completion date at 07/31/2026 (to match the CDBG grant) and a separate change order authorizing $38,117.26 to cover additional culvert, grading and related work to tie into 20th Road. Commissioners also asked staff to attempt further negotiation on a $15,000 mobilization line item in the contractor's estimate before finalizing arrangements.

Outcome and next steps: Staff will proceed with the approved change orders, continue to negotiate mobilization charges where possible, and monitor scheduling and weather constraints to protect recently completed work.

Quote: "That date is there must be a completion date for the CDBG grant," a project staffer said when explaining why the July 31, 2026 date was selected.