Supervisors approve $1.0M amendment to Avenue 12 widening contract after PG&E delays

The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted 4–0 on Aug. 4 to amend Contract No. 13012-25 with Avison Construction by $1,004,716.62 for the Avenue 12 widening project between Road 29.5 and State Route 41.

Public Works Director Jared Carter told the board the amendment responds to unforeseen issues including a delay in PG&E pole relocation and unexpected soil-condition work needed to stabilize the roadway subgrade. "When the contract was awarded, we were authorized for 10% contingency of the report amount. Unfortunately, we are quickly approaching that maximum with all of these things that have come up, and so we're here to request an amendment and authorize additional contingency needed to complete the project," Carter said.

Supervisors pressed staff on the county’s ability to recover delay costs from PG&E. Carter said the county will pursue reimbursement but cautioned it is complicated and that he has not been successful recovering delay costs from utility companies in his experience. One supervisor urged elevating the issue and forming an ad hoc outreach with PG&E to seek accountability; another said developer deposits and impact fees are already funding much of the work and warned that delaying the vote could increase costs further.

Carter provided specific cost context: the original engineer’s estimate was about $30,000,000; the driveway addition related to a commercial parcel was approximately $370,000 to install, and the county expected the developer to front certain items and be reimbursed. After discussion the board approved the amendment and authorized change-order procedures consistent with county policy.