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River Ridge board ratifies $150,786 stormwater change order after members debate process
Summary
The River Ridge CDD Board ratified a $150,786.09 change order for Phase I and II stormwater projects after supervisors debated whether staff should have scheduled a special meeting before approving the costs; the vote was unanimous.
Assistant Secretary Kurt Blumenthal moved to ratify MRI Construction Change Order Estimate #500 for price changes to the Phase I and Phase II stormwater management projects totaling $150,786.09; Keith Merrill seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
The discussion centered on why a change order was needed and who authorized the work. District Engineer Charlie Krebs and PSGRC General Manager Eric Long explained that in-field conditions and homeowner input prompted relocating inlets and other adjustments to ensure the work would eliminate standing water. Krebs said the revised work will produce a functioning system that meets expectations.
Vice Chair Terry Mountford objected to how the change order was handled, saying the district already faced overruns on similar projects and that approving another $150,786.09 without calling a special meeting was not fiscally responsible. He described the situation as evidence of “a major dysfunction in the CDD’s operating process,” urging tighter controls on contingency spending.
Kurt Blumenthal and other supervisors responded that scheduling constraints and field timing drove the decision to proceed; Blumenthal moved to ratify the change order to avoid further delays to the stormwater projects. The board voted with all supervisors in favor.
The board directed District Counsel Tony Pires to draft “ground rules” for future situations that include thresholds for requiring a special meeting or predefined contingency authority for project managers. The outcome leaves the projects authorized to proceed under the revised scope and budget appropriation structure described by staff.
