Commissioners approve change orders for public facilities project amid dispute over city water‑meter requirement
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Summary
County staff told commissioners a newly adopted Carrizo Springs ordinance requiring a 6‑inch exterior water meter could add cost and delay a county public facilities project; commissioners approved a not‑to‑exceed addition for site testing and other change orders to keep the project moving.
Dimmit County commissioners approved change orders for a county public facilities construction project after staff warned a City of Carrizo Springs ordinance requiring a 6‑inch external water meter could add cost and delay completion.
Mister Gonzales, the county project manager, said crews expect to finish work early in the new year but that the city’s ordinance — adopted after the project began — requires installation of a larger external meter. "They just approved it in August," he said, noting the county is negotiating with the city and weighing whether legal action would be appropriate. He added the project is currently under contract budget projections but that inserting an external meter would reduce reserves available for other needs.
Separately, staff asked commissioners to approve an additional not‑to‑exceed allocation to PSI (materials/testing contractor) to cover more frequent concrete and compaction testing caused by local supplier limits. Staff estimated an additional $40,000 as an upper bound; commissioners approved the change order and agreed to use available under‑budget funds or retainage as necessary.
Court members discussed tradeoffs between pursuing legal remedies against the city (which could delay the project) and approving the change orders to keep construction moving. Commissioner Miranda and others said the county should protect schedule and quality; legal counsel advised the court it could litigate but that litigation would likely delay opening and increase cost.
The court approved the requested change orders by voice vote; staff will execute the PSI testing amendment and other procurement approvals and continue negotiations with the City of Carrizo Springs about meter requirements.
Why it matters: the change orders preserve contractor continuity and aim to keep a multimillion‑dollar facility on schedule. The city ordinance’s imposition of additional water‑meter infrastructure raises budget and timing questions and could affect final costs or require a legal response from the county.