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Council narrowly rejects $82,320.81 Wilson Engineering contract amendment for biosolids design
Summary
Council debated and then rejected (4–3) a motion to authorize a $82,320.81 contingency payment to Wilson Engineering for added design work on a biosolids facility, citing unapproved scope changes and options to negotiate instead.
Council considered a motion March 11 to authorize the mayor to execute a contract amendment with Wilson Engineering for additional engineering and design work on a biosolids-handling facility at the wastewater treatment plant, using contingency funds of $82,320.81.
City Administrator Mark Bethune summarized the project history: the original contract approved in October 2023 carried a not-to-exceed amount around $1.65 million, with about $1.5 million in scope and a contingency for change. During design, staff-initiated scope changes—such as digester design modifications, building location/size revisions and additional DOE-related permitting—expanded the work beyond what council had explicitly approved, Bethune said. Wilson requested additional compensation for the extra engineering; administration offered a reduced request of about $82,320.81 if council agreed to stop the added scope and pay the work completed to date.
Councilmember Hogan moved to authorize the mayor to execute the contract amendment using contingency funds; Hogan's motion was seconded and opened for debate. Councilmember Williams opposed paying the requested amount and urged negotiation, saying the scope change had no council authorization and contending the city had wasted a larger share of the original budget on the unapproved changes.
After discussion of options—stop work and pay the balance owed to date, deny payment and authorize negotiations, or complete the added scope—the council took a roll-call vote. Councilmembers Holland, Hogan and Sprowl voted yes; Councilmembers Reid, Torres, Tracy and Williams voted no. The motion was defeated 4–3. Mayor Scott Brennan said the item could be brought back to a later council meeting for further consideration.
No amendment to the contract was approved and staff indicated options remain, including further negotiation with the consultant before returning to council.
