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Council explains $533,000 in change orders for new fire station after unexpected site conditions
Summary
City staff told Mesquite council the construction of Fire Station No. 2 encountered loose soil, an unidentified sewer line and steeper grades than shown on plans, prompting three change orders totaling $533,000. Councilmember Rodriguez Ross questioned whether additional due diligence could have prevented the cost increases.
At the pre‑meeting, City Manager Cliff updated council about three change orders for the construction of Fire Station No. 2 with AUI Partners that total $533,000. He said crews discovered loose soil requiring retaining walls and an unrecorded sewer line running through the property from an adjacent church.
"We found an unidentified sewer line, connecting the church to the city sewer system that went right through the middle of the property," Cliff said, adding that some field conditions were not revealed in preliminary survey and design work. Cliff said the city had performed a survey and geotechnical testing and used a licensed engineer and architect, but that unforeseen subsurface conditions can still emerge during excavation.
Councilmember Rodriguez Ross pressed for answers on how the site was chosen and whether additional surveys could have revealed the problems earlier. "What's with these change orders? This is significant amount of change orders, and some of these things are structural," she said. Cliff said staff will continue to work with the engineer and architect to identify cost savings and that additional change orders are possible as the project progresses.
Action on the change orders was included on the consent agenda for the regular meeting. The council approved consent items 2–6 by a single motion, passed unanimously, which covered authorization for the city manager to finalize and execute change orders related to construction of the station.
