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Valley County to core-test transfer-site floor after contractors report flaking; electrical change orders tabled
Summary
Commissioners approved two county phones for facility technicians and directed third‑party coring and destructive testing of a flaking tipping floor at the solid-waste transfer site before pursuing credits or remediation; multiple electrical change orders were tabled to Jan. 12 pending time‑impact details.
Valley County commissioners directed staff to arrange independent coring and strength testing of the new solid‑waste transfer‑site tipping floor after contractors and county staff reported the surface "flaking" and inconsistent strength readings.
Harry Canada, who oversees buildings and grounds, told commissioners that facility technicians are currently using personal phones to receive work‑order notifications and asked for two county phones so staff can be reachable while working at sites. A commissioner moved to approve the request and the board voted unanimously in favor.
The meeting then focused on the tipping floor. Joe Dalrymple of Dalrypil Construction and on‑site contractor representatives said the top layer of the floor is scaling off in places. County staff cited photographs and concerns raised by Lakeshore Disposal, and contractor and testing reports showed inconsistent results: Knife River’s testing met specifications while a later GPI sample from about the 11th truck showed strength values well below expected curing curves. "We need to bring in a third‑party independent inspector," one contractor said, recommending coring and split samples taken alongside the county’s third‑party inspector, GPI, so results can be compared.
Commissioners and staff agreed that establishing the true compressive strength is the priority before seeking a refund or undertaking disruptive repairs. County staff asked Dalrymple to submit a written work plan indicating where and how many cores will be taken so GPI can coordinate duplicate sampling.
Separately, contractors and staff reviewed several electrical change orders associated with the transfer site that together total tens of thousands of dollars (exhibits a–f include a new service/pole for $27,473.23, exterior lighting for $24,986.47 and a roof over the new service for $8,797.50). Commissioners raised process concerns, saying change orders should be reviewed by the engineers before final county approval and that the time‑extension implications of each change order need to be explicit because they affect contract completion dates and liquidated damages. The board voted to table the electrical change orders until a later meeting (scheduled Jan. 12) after staff provide day‑by‑day time impacts and supporting documentation.
Next steps: Joe Dalrymple will provide a coring work plan and the contractor will submit documentation showing the days requested for each change order so the commissioners can consider both cost and schedule impacts at the Jan. 12 meeting.
