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Council debates contractor offer to regrade trail for ADA access but takes no vote
Summary
Council discussed a contractor-funded $61,825 change order from Amerante to reduce a trail grade to 8% and pave the top portion for ADA compliance; members pressed for soil tests, contract protections and committee input and deferred action to gather more information.
Council members on Nov. 24 reviewed a contractor-proposed change order for the Broadhead Sewer Separation project that would regrade and pave the upper portion of the Chartiers/Shorter's Creek trail to an 8% grade and make it ADA-compliant. Engineer King described three previously explored options and said the contractor (Amerante/Amarante) proposed a combined approach to accomplish the top portion now and leave lower, floodplain work for later to avoid DEP permitting and substantially higher costs.
King and Manager Price said Gateway’s cost estimate indicated bidding only this segment could cost more than double the contractor’s offer; the proposed change order estimate presented to council was $61,825. King and Price characterized Gateway and the trail consultant’s review as high-level planning reviews rather than detailed geotechnical analyses.
Several council members raised technical and contract concerns. One asked whether engineering or soil testing had been completed for the intended fill area; staff replied that only a high-level review had been done (GAI/GAO GAI Consultants) and that no soil tests or in-depth analyses had yet been performed. A council member asked what protective language would appear in a change order to guarantee proper compaction, inspection and standards; Manager Price suggested conditioning acceptance on meeting specified expectations and said the borough could withhold proceeding if engineers determined the fill was inappropriate.
Council members also noted the trail committee had not had an opportunity for full review of the trail study and the committee should be consulted. Given those open technical, contractual and review questions, council declined to make a motion; Price and King were directed to obtain further studies, draft change-order terms with protections, and seek input from Gateway and the trail committee before the Dec. 11 deadline to decide whether to accept the contractor’s offer.
Representative quote: "It's not an analysis. It's not a soil test," Manager Price said when asked what technical work had been completed.
What’s next: staff will seek geotechnical information, condition language for a change order (inspections, compaction, acceptance criteria), and additional committee review before the council could vote on the proposed $61,825 change order.
