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Scappoose council approves Consort contract exemption for WWTP; authorizes one-time vacation-rollover exception
Summary
The Scappoose City Council on Oct. 21 unanimously approved Resolution 20416 to exempt procurement rules and allow the city manager to contract directly with Consort Inc. for wastewater treatment plant construction management (task order amount previously ~ $900,000). The council also approved a one-time vacation-rollover exception through June 30, 2025 for a small set of staff.
The Scappoose City Council voted on Oct. 21 to exempt local procurement requirements and authorize the city manager to enter a direct contract with Consort Inc. to provide technical construction management services for the city’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Phase 1 project.
Charlotte Baker, staff lead on the WWTP matter, reviewed the project history and explained the need for a new contract. She said Consort — the original design firm selected under the 2019 RFP — was expected to perform technical project management during construction but the original contract lapsed while the city moved toward construction. Baker told the council the request is not for a new scope of design work but to maintain continuity: "It it doesn't make sense to have someone else come on and try to do technical project management using Consort's design," she said.
Baker said the dollar amount remains unchanged from the task order the council approved on Aug. 5 (about $900,000) and that McClure will be the construction contractor. The city attorney advised that a procurement exemption is appropriate under the circumstances because Consort prepared the design and is uniquely positioned to provide efficient technical oversight during construction.
Councilor Holmes moved to approve Resolution 20416, exempting the contract from local procurement requirements and authorizing the city manager to contract directly with Consort Inc.; Councilor LaFren seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.
On personnel matters, City Manager Ben Bergener outlined a request for a one-time exception to the city's leave policy for a small number of employees who were unable to use accrued vacation time because of staffing schedules and transitions this year. Bergener described the ask as a one-time, discretionary exception — not a permanent policy change — and said affected employees would need a verifiable reason for the exception. Council President Miller moved to authorize the city manager to make exceptions as discussed through the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2025; Councilor Santiago seconded and the motion passed by voice vote.
Clarifying details recorded at the meeting: staff cited the original task-order estimate of about $900,000 for Consort’s technical project-management work; city staff also stated that regular staff can carry over up to 200 hours and certain department heads up to 248 hours under existing rules, and the council’s action permits limited additional carryover at the manager’s discretion through June 30, 2025.
The council then moved into an executive session under Oregon law to discuss labor negotiations.
