Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates change-order process after projects saw large cost increases
Summary
Council reviewed procurement practices after members cited projects where approved scopes grew markedly through change orders; staff defended existing council review while members urged clearer bid scopes, alternates and guardrails to avoid excessive scope expansion.
Council and staff spent time discussing the city's current process for change orders after members raised concerns that some projects have increased dramatically in cost during execution.
Corbin (S13, staff) explained the existing process requires change orders to come back to council for approval. "Anything that happens, any change order has to come back to the council and so you guys get to see it," S13 said. Council members recounted an example where an approved $2.5 million project later increased to $9 million after additional scope was added; speakers debated whether that should have been rebid and whether more explicit alternate-bid items or contingency language could reduce the risk.
There was no formal policy change this meeting. Several council members urged tighter scoping, more upfront alternates in RFPs, and clearer expectations of engineers to surface foreseeable work sooner. Staff and council agreed to continue reviewing procurement language and oversight processes.
