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Public commenters urge SAM to approve Force Main phase to avoid escalating costs and safety risks
Summary
During public comment, residents asked the board to approve Phase 2 of the Monterra Force Main to avoid rising materials and labor costs and to protect public safety and environmental compliance tied to an ERF consent decree.
Several members of the public spoke at the Aug. 10 SAM meeting, asking directors to approve the Phase 2 contract so procurement can proceed and price exposure be limited.
One commenter asked technical questions about how contingency tiers were categorized and whether contractor‑assigned contingencies were excluded from SAM’s project cost. Rochelle Lather, the project engineer, explained contingency tiers based on cost and probability and clarified which risks were contractor responsibilities and which were SAM’s.
A second commenter, identified in the transcript as Stephanie, explicitly urged the board to pass Phase 2 and warned of an estimated $100,000 per month additional cost to taxpayers if the project were delayed. She said the ERF consent‑decree schedule and potential El Niño impacts were reasons to move quickly.
SAM directors acknowledged the concerns but emphasized the need to align procurement with the JPA and member‑agency budget approvals. The board adopted conditional language intended to allow procurement progress while securing written funding confirmations from each member agency.
