The City of Franklin Common Council on Jan. 6 approved a change order not to exceed $13,700 for Terracon Consultants Inc. to perform additional geotechnical borings on West Drexel Avenue and directed staff to survey property owners on South 76th Street about interest in water and sanitary sewer service.

City engineering staff said soils in the area east of the original project limits are "very, very questionable at best," and recommended additional borings so the team can incorporate subsurface conditions into bid documents and design. "We'd like to have permission for our geotech engineer to take a few more soil borings to see exactly what we're dealing with, include that in the bid documents," the city engineer told the council.

The change order (Terracon) was approved by voice vote after councilors asked whether the additional testing would reduce unexpected costs during construction. The city explained borings help determine whether removal and replacement of poor soils is required or whether geotechnical solutions such as geogrid could be used.

Separately, the council authorized staff to survey property owners along South 76th Street between West Ryan Road and West Park Circle Way to determine interest in adding sewer and water service in advance of a county road project. Staff said residents who opt in would be assessed if service is installed.

Councilors also debated whether to proceed with full construction of Drexel in 2026 or wait for potential STPU grant funding that, if received, could delay construction to 2029. The city engineer said the likelihood of receiving that particular grant was "very, very slim," and council voted to table any borrowing/funding decision until the finance committee meets and the city obtains more information; the item was tabled to the Feb. 3 council meeting.

Next steps: design work for Drexel will continue so the project is bid-ready if funding is authorized; staff will report back with survey results and finance-committee input on funding options.