Cochise County Flood Control District raises contingency for Bella Vista detention basin to 15%

The Cochise County Flood Control District voted Tuesday to increase the construction contingency for the Bella Vista Detention Basin project, approving a $551,885.50 increase that brings the contingency to 15% of the contract.

The action came during the Flood Control District meeting at the Board of Supervisors hearing room in Bisbee. The motion to raise the contingency for the existing Bella Vista Detention Basin construction contract (26-05-ENG-01) carried on a recorded voice vote of 3–0.

County engineering staff told supervisors the original construction contract awarded to Grama Construction totaled $5,518,855. "The original contract that was won by Grama Construction was ... $5,518,855," an engineering department representative said, adding that Cochise County had initially set a 5% contingency to cover field changes. The representative said change orders already proposed and added to the project had pushed the contingency to roughly 8.5 percent and that staff was requesting a 15% contingency so remaining work and outstanding change orders could be covered without returning to the board later.

Mathematically, 15% of the $5,518,855 contract equals $827,828.25 in contingency; compared with the county's original 5% contingency ($275,942.75), the increase required is $551,885.50. At the meeting a supervisor asked whether staff anticipated additional increases; the engineering representative replied, "No, sir."

Before the action item, the board approved consent agenda items 1 and 2 by unanimous voice vote. The meeting record did not identify the member who moved or seconded approval of the consent agenda; the clerk recorded the vote as 3–0 in favor.

After approving the contingency increase, the board adjourned the Flood Control District session and moved on to address the jail district agenda.