Hall County approves change order for courthouse project after split vote

The Hall County Board of Commissioners approved change order #6 for the ongoing courthouse construction project after discussing unexpected site conditions and the need for additional haul-in material and compaction.

County staff explained crews encountered damp, unsuitable material that required removal and replacement; the change order primarily covers Court Street repairs and the extra excavation and fill. Commissioners questioned the scope of excavation and number of truckloads removed; one member asked for the engineer or project chief to appear before the board to explain why the team chose the current remedy.

Project staff told the board the contractor would apply four layers of waterproofing to basement walls and install drain tile and pumps, steps the staff said reduce the risk of basement water intrusion. Still, some commissioners expressed concern about vertical and horizontal splices in the poured walls and asked staff to follow up with the project architect or chief to address construction sequencing and water mitigation.

When the board voted on the change order, the tally was recorded as 5 yes, 2 no. A commissioner who voted yes said the work had already been done and the county has an obligation to pay the bills; those who opposed cited concerns about potential overbuilding and asked for more detailed engineering explanations before future approvals.

The change order is authorized and staff were instructed to get the required signatures and bring the architect or project lead to a subsequent meeting to answer technical questions.