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Desert Hot Springs council approves $195,000 change order to fully replace Furby pool bottom; high school opening delayed
Summary
City staff reported contractors found the Furby pool bottom thinner than specified with exposed rebar; council approved a $195,000 change order and a roughly 25-day delay, to be funded from the Capital Improvement Fund and adjusted at mid-year budget review.
The Desert Hot Springs City Council voted unanimously Dec. 9 to approve a contract change order to fully replace the pool bottom at the John H. Furby Aquatic Center after contractors discovered the slab was thinner than specified and reinforcing bar had come through the tile.
Tim Jonathan, the city’s consultant and city engineer, told the council that California Waters, the contractor on the project, determined spot repairs would not be satisfactory after crews uncovered areas where the pool bottom thickness “was in some places less than half the 6 in that were required,” leaving rebar exposed and sections touching subgrade. He said the contractor submitted a change-order cost of $195,000 and that the work would add about 25 days to the construction schedule.
The city will cover the additional cost from the Capital Improvement Fund and the expense will be handled in the mid-year budget adjustment, Jonathan said. He also said the city’s inspector has been alerted to conduct proper thickness testing for the replacement to prevent a repeat problem.
Council members asked whether the city had recourse against the original builder; staff said any warranty or fraud claim appeared unlikely given the time elapsed and suggested the statute of limitations probably precluded recovery. Council members urged that future pool projects include independent inspections of gunite application to verify thickness during construction.
Staff notified the council that the 25-day delay will affect the high school swim season; the high school has been informed and is expected to make alternate arrangements. The council emphasized that the work aims to ensure a stable long-term pool floor and approved the change order by voice vote.
The change order was approved as part of the council’s administrative calendar for City project No. 2013; the council recorded the motion, second and a unanimous vote in favor. The body adjourned following a subsequent agenda item later in the meeting.
