Carl Junction aldermen press contractor on Memorial Park repairs and Country Club landscaping delays

The Carl Junction Board of Aldermen on Monday discussed delays and communication problems with contractors performing work at Memorial Park and on a Country Club landscaping contract.

Board members said Liberty raised concerns about how a sump panel was installed at Memorial Park and asked the contractor to correct the work before proceeding. Board members asked whether the correction could be finished by Memorial Day but received no firm commitment. The board discussed whether Liberty must perform the work under its contract or whether the city could hire another contractor to finish the task.

Separately, members raised concerns about a Country Club landscaping contract approved Sept. 23 that gave the contractor a 30-day window to perform work. Several members said the contractor missed the time frame, later declined to hydroseed because of cold weather and told city staff it planned to broadcast seed instead — a change the contractors did not communicate when the contract was executed. One board member said the change and lack of communication put spring completion at risk and asked whether the council should pull the project; city staff said they would contact the contractor and report back to the board at the next meeting.

The discussion included reminders that the contract remains in force and that, if the contractor cannot or will not meet the agreed terms, the city may need to consider alternatives and associated costs. No formal directive or vote to terminate or re-bid the contract was recorded.