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Palatka staff move to strip costly electrical change order from St. Johns Avenue streetscape
Summary
City staff told commissioners they are working to eliminate a contractor change order that would add 30–50 amp outlets at every streetscape pole — work they say is unnecessary and could add hundreds of thousands in cost and delay to the long-running project.
Palatka project staff said the St. Johns Avenue streetscape project may avoid a large electrical change order after staff review flagged unnecessary work that would have added heavy-gauge wiring and 30–50 amp receptacles at every light pole.
The issue surfaced during a March 23 project update, when public works and the project manager said engineering drawings included 50-amp outlets at all 52 pole locations. "They want 50 amp receptacles on every pole. And that's — we don't need that," said Mr. Barrecchio, who said he reviewed the prints and electrical specifications and found the outlets were not required by the original design.
The finding prompted staff to reject the contractor's change order and demand clarifications. Mr. Barrecchio said the engineer's drawings appeared to rely on outdated direction and that removing the added outlets would eliminate most of the expensive wiring and associated work. "We had outlets there. So, all the home runs and everything should have been sized right," he said, describing the electrical work the city believes was added in error.
Commissioners pressed staff on the project's long timeline and the downtown economic impacts of prolonged construction. One commissioner noted the project started before COVID-19 and has stretched into an eighth year, and cautioned that stalled work has harmed downtown businesses. Staff responded that removing the unnecessary electrical items should speed the contractor's schedule and reduce both cost and time.
FDOT has asked for additional documentation on change orders; staff told the board they set deadlines for the contractor and the engineer to provide supporting information. The city's target completion date for the streetscape remains December 31, 2026, though commissioners said they expect frequent reports and tighter project oversight going forward.
Next steps: staff will continue to press the engineer/contractor to remove unneeded outlets, finalize the scope, and return to the commission with updates. Commissioners also asked administration to ensure project documentation and field verification are preserved so future staff do not lose institutional knowledge.
