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Committee advances $128,678 change order after staff describes failing pipes beneath Southeast 5th Street
Summary
The Public Works Committee recommended a $128,677.99 change order to repair failing corrugated metal pipes under Southeast 5th Street after staff said two conduits had ‘‘the bottoms completely gone’’ and others were heavily rusted; the committee voted to forward the item to full council.
The Lee's Summit Public Works Committee on July 13 recommended that the City Council approve a change order to repair storm infrastructure on Southeast 5th Street after staff described significant corrosion and pipe failure discovered during field work.
Karen Quackenbush, senior staff engineer, told the committee the project responded to a citizen report of a sinkhole near Onyx Drive and Bristol Drive. Field investigation found four 54‑inch diameter corrugated metal tubes under the road "where two of the tubes, the bottoms were completely gone and the other two were very, very rusted," she said. Work began after mobilization in February 2026; the sinkhole was first reported in July 2024, which staff said meant about a year‑and‑a‑half elapsed between report and mobilization.
Quackenbush said the contractor’s initial estimate under the on‑call agreement changed after potholing and additional investigation revealed a water main conflict that required lowering the water main to accommodate the new pipes; that unforeseen work is included in change order number 1. The change order increases the contract by $128,677.99 for a revised agreement amount of $469,928.99 under on‑call agreement 2024‑0572R (WO131527) with Wiedemann/Weideman Inc. (transcript contains inconsistent vendor spelling).
City Engineer George Binger explained the procurement context: council had pre‑approved the contractor and set a budget in the capital improvement plan for corrugated metal pipe rehabilitation, which allowed initial mobilization under the contract. Binger said the change order is before the committee because the amendment exceeded the procurement policy threshold that requires committee/council review.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about timing and how the contractor’s on‑call estimate can become a change order; Quackenbush and Binger explained that record drawings do not always match field conditions and that contractors pothole to confirm utilities before proceeding, and additional work found in the field becomes part of a change order.
A committee member moved to recommend TMP 3‑7‑2‑4 to the full council; the motion was seconded and approved with recorded ayes from Vice Chair Funk, Council Member Cravens and Mayor Pro Tem Shields.
Next steps: the item will go to full City Council the following day for final approval; staff listed execution of the agreement and standard project tracking as follow‑up actions.
Why this matters: the work is a safety‑related, reactive repair to failing storm infrastructure in a collector street near a school and may require additional schedule or budget adjustments once final excavation and repair quantities are confirmed.
