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Boonsboro council approves up-to-$50,000 engineering change order for new reservoir project
Summary
The council approved WRA’s Change Order #5, authorizing engineering services during construction for a new potable water reservoir and 12-inch water main not to exceed $50,000; town staff said designer oversight is needed for portions of the work and several operational water issues remain.
Boonsboro — On Dec. 9, 2024 the Boonsboro Mayor and Council approved WRA’s Change Order #5, authorizing engineering services during construction for the town’s new potable water reservoir and a 12-inch water main for time-and-materials work not to exceed $50,000. Town Manager Rachel Souders presented the quote and said certain portions of the project require direct oversight by the firm that designed it.
Council Member Eric Kitchen moved to approve the change order and Council Member Marilee Kerns seconded; the motion carried. Souders told the council that WRA needs to directly oversee specific parts of the project tied to its design responsibilities.
The approval comes amid other water-system updates reported at the same meeting. Utilities Superintendent Pete Shumaker said crews pulled a failed pump at the Keedysville Spring Plant and worked on it the same day, and that Phillips & Sons is scheduled to hook up the Shafer Park well on Jan. 8, 2025. Shumaker also reported that a replacement pump for the Crestview/Route 34 site is being returned to the manufacturer for evaluation, noting the facility is roughly 70 years old and parts are difficult to obtain. He added that a chlorine analyzer at the plant is malfunctioning and triggering alarms overnight and likely needs replacement.
Public Works Superintendent Greg Huntsberry also told the council the Shafer Park Walking Trail Phase IV contractor has not resumed paving because of cold weather, and that staff have completed interim stone placement. The council did not record a separate roll-call tally for the change-order vote; minutes state the motion carried.
The reservoir and water-main work are part of the town’s multi-phase capital improvements to address aging infrastructure. The town did not provide a timeline for completion of the construction phase during the Dec. 9 meeting; follow-up direction to staff and any required contract amendments were not specified in the minutes.
