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City project engineer warns design costs pushed past grant amount; board told a May special meeting is likely to consider scope change
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Summary
City project staff said a corridor/bridge project’s design and permitting costs have grown; staff presented options (complete full design, reach 30% design this biennium, or reduce scope) and warned that biennium rules constrain scope changes without board action; staff signaled a likely May special meeting to act on scope changes.
City project staff and consultants briefed the board about a corridor project that includes roadway reconstruction, a bridge replacement and a high‑impact intersection. Craig Bozarth, the project engineer, said consultant design fees and extended permitting (levee work, FAA runway protection zone coordination, cultural resources) pushed the project beyond the $5M grant amount; updated design cost estimates to reach 100% now exceed the current appropriation.
Bozarth presented scenarios: (1) complete full design to 100% (estimated to require roughly $8M in design, exceed the current grant and extend beyond the biennium), (2) complete a 30% design this biennium (about $4M) to get more precise costs and then pursue additional funding, or (3) reduce scope to roadway‑only work and defer bridge/intersection design. He warned that scope changes are constrained by the board’s biennium appropriation rules and that if the board wishes to authorize a scope change that would carry funding into a later biennium, a timely board action is necessary.
Board staff recommended considering a short special meeting in May to resolve scope and funding questions so the city can begin work in June if approved. The board did not vote at the April 10 meeting but directed staff to coordinate next steps and indicated urgency given contractor selection and project delivery timelines.
Craig Bozarth said the project team is pursuing state and federal funding sources (including BUILD, bridge programs, SS4A and other federal programs) and will coordinate with local programs to identify an appropriate funding package.
The board will consider next steps at a possible May meeting to avoid project delay; staff emphasized that any scope change that affects carrying appropriations into a new biennium triggers additional constraints and procedural steps.
