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Blue Earth County approves $309,088 truck purchase and $48,500 change order for hydroelectric FERC surrender work
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Summary
The board awarded a bid for a tandem-axle truck (net $309,088) and approved Barr Engineering change order No. 2 for $48,500 related to the Rapidan hydroelectric FERC license-surrender work, bringing total change orders on that contract to $186,500.
Blue Earth County commissioners authorized two public-works expenditures on March 17: the purchase of a 2027-or-newer tandem-axle truck with dump body and sanding equipment and a $48,500 change order to Barr Engineering for work related to surrendering the Rapidan hydroelectric facility’s FERC license.
Public-works staff recommended awarding the truck procurement to North Central International Truck Center (International HB513 model) as the low bidder at a net price of $309,088 after trade-in. Commissioners approved the award.
Staff then presented change order No. 2 for Barr Engineering for work tied to the FERC license surrender for the Rapidan hydroelectric project. Staff said additional costs stemmed from project-management time, revisions to the surrender application and draft environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) revisions required by scope changes; the requested change order amount is $48,500. Staff noted total change orders to date on the agreement amount to $186,500. The board approved the $48,500 change order.
Why it matters: The truck purchase updates county fleet capacity for snow and roadway maintenance. The Barr change order funds additional engineering and application work necessary to complete the FERC license-surrender process; the cumulative change orders are notable for project budgeting.
What happens next: County staff will execute the truck contract with North Central International and process the Barr change order as approved.

