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Council approves budget adjustment, contingency increase for Palomar Street and Cemetery improvement project
Summary
Wildomar approved supplemental appropriations and raised the contract contingency for the Palomar Street and Cemetery Improvement Project after staff said fiscal‑year timing (project spending split shifted from prior year to current) left the current year underbudgeted; council also heard that some change orders (e.g., battery backups for signals, curve softening on Grewell) explain contingency needs.
City staff presented and the Wildomar City Council approved a budget adjustment and increase to the contract contingency for the Palomar Street and Cemetery Improvement Project.
Jason explained the request arose from the project’s expenditure timing: staff had initially projected 50% of work in the prior fiscal year and 50% in the current year, but the actual spending split was closer to 25%/75%, leaving the current fiscal year underbudgeted. He said this is a reallocation across fiscal years rather than a cost overrun.
The council also reviewed contingency guidance. Staff explained the contract was originally awarded with a 5% contingency that allows the public works director to approve change orders up to that threshold; the project is approaching that limit and the requested increase would provide flexibility to execute city‑requested improvements. Examples discussed included installing battery‑backup systems for new traffic signals so signals continue to operate during outages and softening a curve on Grewell Street that will extend improvement limits.
Council members asked for clarification that the requested contingency increase was for city‑requested enhancements rather than undiscovered conditions; staff confirmed the change orders in question were for additional work the city requested (not an asbestos or unforeseen subsurface discovery). Council members also discussed schedule concerns and nighttime work for intersection adjustments. After discussion, the council moved and approved the budget adjustment and contingency action; the motion carried 5–0.
