Woodfin council approves up-to-$118K change order for whitewater wave; motion paperwork records inconsistent figure

Woodfin Town Council approved a contract amendment and budget reallocation to cover additional construction-administration costs for the Riverside Park whitewater wave project after Hurricane Helene and unanticipated site conditions increased inspection needs.

Town staff said the engineering firm Caliber Engineering (referred to in staff materials as S2O/Caliber) exhausted its original construction-administration budget during the first phase and requested additional funding for more site visits and Helene-related engineering. Staff presented a change order described in the packet as an amount "not to exceed $118,488.50" to cover extra inspections and design adjustments. In the council motion recorded on the floor, the number cited differed (transcript motion text records $188,488); staff later confirmed the contract language presented to council and the supporting budget amendment were intended to secure a not-to-exceed increase in the lower range noted in the packet and that the town will only pay invoices actually submitted.

Shannon Tuck (town manager) and project staff explained why inspections increased: the contractor’s original plan—two crews building from both sides and meeting in the middle—did not work in this riverbed project because of irregular bedrock and fitment of stone elements, forcing sequential pours that required more frequent inspections. "It was frustrating—they really had struggled with making these boulders match," a council member said during discussion; staff pledged to press the contractor to reduce inspections in phase two where conditions may be less challenging.

Council moved to approve the change order and then adopted Ordinance 2025-21 to amend the Parks Capital Project Fund budget, reallocating professional-services, design and construction line items to pre-audit and encumber the change order without increasing the overall appropriation. Council voted verbally in favor of the change order (recorded as five yeses) and then approved the budget amendment by voice vote.

Staff said the town will monitor invoices closely: the council approved an amount not-to-exceed in contract language but will pay only for work performed and invoiced, and staff said they expect to seek a follow-up amendment in January to fund later phases of Riverside Park expansion if additional construction phases proceed.