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Finance committee recommends $1.28 million award for rock-slide mitigation design despite member concerns about FEMA-driven scope
Summary
The committee recommended awarding the Phase 1 rock-slide mitigation engineering and design contract to Shannon & Wilson for up to $1,280,337; one member expressed strong concerns about FEMA-driven scope assumptions, equipment access (helicopter references) and risk of change orders, while staff said FEMA BRIC funding requires certain scope elements but the phase 1 design can be used without future federal construction funds.
The finance committee recommended that the assembly approve awarding the Phase 1 design contract for the rock-slide mitigation project to Shannon & Wilson in an amount not to exceed $1,280,337. The project’s Phase 1 design is funded largely by FEMA BRIC grant funds (manager cited roughly $1,100,000 in FEMA BRIC funds and approximately $486,000 in matching MOS funds for the approved phase 1 design budget), and the selection committee received and scored a single proposal.
Debate and concerns: Hansen (S2) raised substantive objections to the scope as written, saying the proposal assumes later FEMA construction funding and includes impractical equipment access scenarios (noting references to helicopters and small excavators) that could make construction costly or infeasible. Hansen warned the scope’s tone risked “setting us up for a change order” and urged more pragmatic contractor involvement.
Manager response: Emily Deetsch said FEMA BRIC funding requires inclusion of specific scope elements in the proposal and that those elements were included to comply with grant requirements. Deetsch added that phase 1 design would clarify construction needs and that the borough could choose not to pursue future FEMA construction funds; completed designs can be repurposed regardless of subsequent federal funding.
Committee action: The committee moved and seconded the recommendation; recorded ayes carried the motion and the committee forwarded the contract award recommendation to the assembly.
