Kossuth County board directs engineers to proceed with DD4/Union Slough work despite material-price bump

Kossuth County's board voted to move forward with the low bidder on the Union Slough (DD4) drainage project and to shift engineering oversight to Bolton & Menk, directing the firm to prepare a change order to cover higher material costs.

The motion, made by Stecker and seconded by Haas, authorized the county to execute a contract with the low bidder and instruct Bolton & Menk to handle engineering and inspection for the drainage-district portion of the project. The board carried the motion by voice vote.

Contractors and engineers told the board that a delay in sending contract paperwork allowed supplier quotes to lapse and that polyethylene pipe prices rose sharply in the interim. The low bidder reported roughly a $26,000 increase on a roughly $350,000 job, raising the contract to about $375,000. Contractors described the increase as driven by volatile raw-material markets and interruptions to resin supply chains that shortened or voided normal quote windows.

Ducks Unlimited and project contractors urged the board to act quickly to preserve momentum on the work and to protect grant funding tied to the project. Engineers said an August-to-October funding window and related grant deadlines made rapid execution the least damaging option.

The board also resolved to have Bolton & Menk prepare a formal change order reflecting the material-price increases and to oversee district facilities work only (not unrelated private or wetland components of the broader project).

The motion text in the transcript includes two contractor-name spellings; the board's action assigns responsibility for final contract documentation and change orders to county staff and Bolton & Menk. The board carried the motion and the meeting moved on to other business.