Council authorizes KBA consultant agreements and approves SR 167 change order; staff cite contract challenges

The Committee authorized consultant agreements and a construction change order tied to federally funded and regional transportation projects.

Jason Barry (Construction Section, Public Works) introduced a consultant services agreement with KBA Incorporated to provide construction management, contract administration, field inspection and quality-assurance testing on the recently awarded South 212th Street preservation project. Council authorized the mayor to sign the agreement, subject to final terms and attorney approval.

Staff also requested and the Committee approved a supplement (Supplemental Agreement No. 2) to KBA's consultant agreement for additional construction management on the 218th/224th corridor project. Staff said the project is nearing substantial completion but has required extra administrative work due to unforeseen changes, including over 40 additional contract days and weeks-long suspensions for power conversions.

In discussion of a separate construction contract, public works staff said the construction contract for the 224th corridor has had roughly 25 change orders so far and cited an initial $500,000 change attributable to PSC-materials replacement. The Committee then approved a change order (number 3) with Scarcella Brothers for repairs to a failing sewer location discovered during inspection on the SR 167 median drainage project; staff said the site was difficult to access (concrete-encased fiber optic duct bank suspended on an I-beam), which required the contractor to perform the repair under constrained conditions.

All consultant authorizations, the supplemental agreement, and the Scarcella Brothers change order were approved by voice vote.