Commissioners approve $9,900 change order for Elyria porch repair amid procurement concerns

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners voted to amend a 2023 contract and approve a $9,900 change order for repair work at 623 East Avenue in Elyria.

The clerk read Resolution No. 11 to amend Resolution 25660 and award the contract to "GenMet Construction Lorraine" for the Program Year '23 Lehi Safe Ohio project. A committee member challenging the item said the original bid was vague and questioned why visible porch elements had not been included, calling the door and handrail line items excessive. "It's taxpayers' money, and we have to look out for it and make sure we're spending it wisely and correctly," the committee member said. An agency official said the contractor submitted a change order to the consultant Kleinfelder in June, that work proceeded after the state approved it, and that the department did not have time to fully vet the request before the work was performed.

Commissioners voted to approve the amendment and change order. Board comments reflected differing views: one commissioner said paying the contractor despite process errors would avoid unfairly punishing the contractor and instead suggested holding the consultant Kleinfelder accountable; another opposed the change order and said they would vote "no".

The action preserves the original $77,515 contract amount as amended, and the board recorded the formal motion and vote. The transcript shows the contractor was paid under the amended resolution; the record indicates concerns about procurement processes and late agenda communication rather than contractor nonperformance.