Council declines separate third‑party inspector for recreation project, will rely on staff oversight

Council members debated whether to hire an independent third‑party project inspector for the city’s recreation-center construction during the Nov. 12 meeting, and they decided the city would rely on in-house staff and committee oversight for the current earthwork-focused phase.

Administrator Bronson said Mammoth Construction had mobilized and that the city needs to determine whether to engage an outside inspector to validate work. Some council members argued a third‑party inspection is valuable for vertical construction; others said the project’s grading and earthwork phase does not justify an expensive outside inspector and that county inspectors and the city’s professional engineer (Scott Paris) can represent the city’s interests. "I think what we were talking about in that meeting…was somebody to represent us in those meetings," a council member said, noting committee members and staff could perform that role.

The council’s apparent consensus was not to hire an external engineering inspector for routine earthwork; instead they asked staff to be present for OAC/contractor meetings, to use Scott Paris’s technical skills, and to solicit pricing only if specialized services are later needed.

Next steps: staff will monitor Mammoth Construction’s progress, participate in project meetings and, if necessary, return to council with solicitations for specialized inspection services.