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Council approves $1.0M change order and schedule extension for Lincoln Street project amid contractor delay concerns
Summary
Council approved a $1,003,469.95 change order and 32‑day time extension (plus winter pause) for the Lincoln Street reconstruction project after staff described owner‑directed work and unforeseen subsurface issues; some council members pushed for stricter enforcement of contract deadlines and liquidated damages.
Lander, Wyo. — The City Council approved change order #2 to the Lincoln Street project, increasing the contract by $1,003,469.95 and adding 32 days plus a winter shut‑down period to the contractor’s schedule.
Public Works staff told the council owner‑directed work items and unexpected underground conditions (short spacing between water and sewer lines, additional repairs) drove the cost and time adjustments. Lance, the city’s public‑works lead, said the change order includes added pavement repairs, protective slurry sealing around pipes and extra quantities of work that were not in the original scope.
Council concern centered on schedule performance and precedent. Several council members questioned why the contractor did not achieve the original fall completion date and pressed whether liquidated damages should be assessed — and, if so, for which days. Staff replied that liquidated damages are struck against measurable, actual damages and that days when the pavement plants or weather make paving impossible are typically not charged in the same way as avoidable contractor delays. Staff proposed to hold liquidated damages calculation until the next construction season when the contractor will have a full allowance to complete paving and the city can document actual damages.
Council approved the change order 4–2. Several council members asked staff to continue negotiating remedies and to prepare a clear accounting for any future claims or damage assessments.
What council recorded: Change order #2 approved (increase $1,003,469.95; schedule addition 32 days + winter shutdown). Council directed staff to return with a recommended approach to any liquidated‑damages calculation and to document owner‑directed items.
