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Council approves Wright Street change order after heated debate over soil and cost
Summary
Council approved Change Order #4 for the Wright Street reconstruction project despite council concern that clay soils and absent geotechnical work drove expensive dirt replacement costs (discussed around $210,667). Members urged better pre-bid investigation for future projects.
The council approved Change Order #4 for Improvement 1712 (Wright Street/10th reconstruction) after an extended and critical discussion about project management and unexpected soil conditions.
Staff explained that clayey soils in the project area required removal and replacement with suitable material, estimating about 7,000 cubic yards of import and a unit price discussed in the meeting. Mr. Sandy and Mr. Dean explained that a geotechnical report had not been completed before bidding and that replacing unsuitable soils was necessary to achieve a durable final product rather than attempting to rework wet clay in place. Councilmembers questioned the magnitude of the cost and the impact on local contractors who bid knowing local soil types.
Councilmembers acknowledged the project was behind schedule and over budget on several fronts; one member summarized the situation as "an exercise in how not to be efficient." Staff said they had explored potential reuse or processing of unsuitable soils (e.g., crushing for class-5 material) and that they believed the proposed change order pricing was comparable to recent work.
After discussion, the council approved the change order by voice vote. Members urged improved geotechnical sampling and procurement practices to avoid similar overruns on future projects.
