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Council reviews $25,000 in change‑order items on 5th Avenue project; officials say timeline unchanged
Summary
Council debated change order #1 for the 5th Avenue Phase 1 project after residents questioned lump sums and unit prices for previously unmarked utilities; borough staff said the items stem from unmarked water and gas mains and required insertion valves, and that the change orders have not delayed the project.
Council considered Resolution 2026‑41, a change order for the 2023 MA Improvements (5th Avenue Phase 1), after residents raised questions about several lump‑sum and unit‑price items.
A resident asked the council to detail the $25,000 lump‑sum entries and whether unit prices were negotiated or part of the original bid. Borough staff and a project representative said many change‑order charges were driven by conditions not shown on the plans: water or sewer services located where they were not expected, an unmarked gas main the contractor hit (causing crew downtime), and inoperable valves that required insertion valves to allow shutdown. Where unit prices existed in the original bid, staff said those rates were used as the basis for change‑order unit pricing; wholly new items were negotiated.
On construction techniques, staff said the contractor used televised sewer inspections in sections where test pits were impractical and that some redundant mains were consolidated to a single centerline main. The borough emphasized the contractor is contractually obligated to maintain trenches and perform temporary hot‑patch repairs after the storm.
Council and residents asked whether the change orders affected the timeline. Project staff said they have not changed the schedule: the original award anticipated work starting after the summer high season, and paving was deferred to late March or early April because of weather and concrete concerns. Staff added that once weather permits, the contractor will complete concrete work and paving.
The council voted to approve the change order as listed on the agenda.
