Council approves change order after backwards pumps found in community center chiller

St. Peter — The city council on March 23 approved a change order to complete the community center chiller project after staff discovered two pumps had been installed backwards during the building's original construction.

John, the recreation and leisure services director, told the council the chiller work is near completion but an installation error dating to the building’s construction left two pumps oriented incorrectly, affecting system performance. “Essentially… these two pumps were installed backwards,” John said, adding that staff and contractor GOG have proposed a change order to fix the problem.

Council member Carrie pressed staff on the schedule. John said the contractor is “ready to roll” and that, if approved, the plan is still to have the chiller completed in the next two weeks. Councilmember Ben asked whether the original bid included contingencies; staff replied that contingencies are not typically included in bids and that the project’s bid exceeded earlier estimates.

The resolution approving the change order was moved, seconded and adopted by roll call. City staff did not read a dollar figure for the change order in the meeting discussion; the council packet contains the detailed memo and the change‑order documents for review.

The chiller project had been delayed partly by long lead times for equipment, staff said; correcting the pump orientation and completing the chiller is intended to ensure the community center can cool the facility during hot weather. The council approved the resolution and the contractor will proceed with the work.

The council approved the measure by roll call and the meeting moved on to other agenda items.