Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee reviews change orders: sidewalks, temporary morgue improvements, Richardson Center paving and Waku Drive drainage
Summary
Committee heard updates on change orders across multiple public-works projects including ADA sidewalk replacements on Kilauea Avenue, security and air-curtain upgrades at a temporary morgue, Richardson Center paving charged to county funds, and Waku Drive drainage adjustments producing a net cost decrease.
KONA/HILO — The Committee on Finance received updates about several public-works change orders and sought clarifications about project scopes and cost changes.
On a Kilauea Avenue and K Street rehabilitation project, Keone Thompson, engineering division chief for the Department of Public Works, said there is no additional wastewater work needed; instead, previously completed sidewalk and driveway work required replacements to meet ADA compliance after errors were found. "So just replacements—the sidewalks that were not compliant with, say, ADA requirements," Thompson said.
Council members also asked about recent change orders for the county’s temporary morgue (cold storage). Aaron Spielman, acting building chief, said a change order paid for security cameras that are now installed and an additional, smaller change order (around $12,000) covered air curtains and temperature control upgrades to improve vector control and performance. Major Jeremy Evangelista, who said the Police Department now manages the facility, said he did not anticipate further construction beyond warranty or routine maintenance.
A question about Richardson Center renovations clarified that paving of existing parking stalls will be paid from county funds because the paving issue surfaced after the main renovation and was not originally identified as the contractor’s responsibility.
On Waku Drive, Thompson explained that field conditions required adjustments to scope; although some items were added, reallocations led to a net decrease in contract cost (approximately a $36,000 reduction), reflecting changed materials and scope reconciliations.
Committee members asked for monthly progress updates for projects where timelines were discussed, and staff agreed to provide additional information and copies of consultant plans where applicable.
