Riley County awards $3.79 million Keats sanitary sewer contract; officials cite small funding gap

The Riley County Commission voted March 26 to award the Keats sanitary sewer improvement contract and to approve related contract amendments for engineering support.

Amanda Webb, planning director, recommended awarding the project to the low bidder and presented updated cost information. The commission moved to approve contracting with Bayer Construction in the amount of $3,789,080.90. The motion was seconded and carried.

Webb said the project currently shows a roughly $250,000 shortfall but listed several avenues staff will pursue to close it, including a supplemental USDA request and potential state or federal grant funding. “So as of today, right this moment, we are technically $250,000 short,” Webb said. She told the commission staff will continue to pursue funding and keep residents informed about next steps.

The commission also approved an amendment to the owner/engineer agreement with BG Consultants to account for a longer construction timeline — staff said the project construction is now expected to run about 15 months rather than the earlier 10-month estimate. That amendment was presented as hourly work (invoiced monthly) and will be funded from previously-identified ARPA dollars.

Officials said they will schedule at least one community meeting before construction begins and that the contractor will provide regular progress updates. Staff also noted discussions with suppliers about piping and potential change orders if donated or alternative materials can be used, pending specification checks.

The commission’s actions at the March 26 meeting authorize contracting, delegated amendment authority to work through change orders consistent with requirements, and continued public communications before construction starts.