Council approves $750,000 increase to Common Road contract after engineering explanation

Warren City Council voted to approve contract modification #1 to city contract WT24821 (Common Road pavement reconstruction and water-main replacement), increasing the contract by $750,000 and authorizing payment number 9 to Mark Anthony Contracting Inc. for $764,381.58. Engineering staff said the additional costs were accounted for through unit prices and arose from adding about 300 feet of Flanders (a failed PASER‑1 road), unanticipated subgrade undercuts and failing gate valves encountered while installing the new water main.

Engineer Tina Gapsis explained the breakdown: about $270,000 covered the added Flanders segment; roughly $150,000 accounted for additional subgrade undercuts; and about $200,000 addressed failing gate valves on side streets discovered during construction. Gapsis emphasized unit pricing in the bid and said the additional work was priced consistently with the original contract.

Several council members pressed staff on bidding practices and contractor quality, noting that lowest-bid outcomes sometimes produce uneven results in workmanship and later change orders. “I think sometimes we need to look at the quality of the workmanship and the history we have with some contractors,” a council member said, urging consideration of past performance in evaluations.

The motion carried; the roll call recorded one vote in opposition. Council took the action to ensure payment to the contractor and to keep the project moving while staff continue to monitor contract administration.

What’s next: Staff will manage the additional work under unit prices and continue inspecting the contractor’s performance; council discussion indicated interest in revisiting bidding criteria in future procurement reviews.