Linn Valley approves final tower payment, authorizes change order to finish meters and optional flush hydrants

The Linn Valley City Council voted to authorize final completion of the new water tower and to approve related contractor payouts, including a $77,595 final pay application for Caldwell and pay application No. 9 totaling $685,878.31 for project contractor work. Aaron from BG Consultants told the council the tower is essentially complete and KDHE has issued a permit to distribute water from it: "We're calling it 99% — there's a couple of items remaining," he said, and contractors have agreed to address locks, a damaged entrance gate and cleanup.

Council then considered change order No. 2, which would add 143 meter lids with holes for automatic readers (priced at $108.45 each, about $15,508.35) and install optional flush hydrants at the ends of 19 dead-end lines. Staff presented the proposed change order as a use of project contingency and noted USDA must approve the modification. "This proposed change order would dip into that contingency a little bit more in the amount of $73,016.35," a consultant said, later clarifying the council motion approved a $72,508.35 change order contingent on USDA authorization. Council approved the change order by voice vote and directed staff to return with an evaluation of adding full fire hydrants where 6-inch mains exist as a potential future change order.

The council and staff discussed trade-offs between adding flush hydrants (low-cost, maintenance-friendly locations to purge dead-end lines) and investing contingency in full fire hydrants (which require a minimum main size and more expense). A council member asked whether contingency funds would be better spent on fire protection; staff said they would map main sizes and return with spacing and cost estimates so the council can evaluate a possible change order 3.