Council backs additional testing, engineering for Charles Creek and Liberty Street work

Council reviewed the Charles Creek engineering scope and the recommendation to add more geotechnical testing — test pits and borings — and ground‑penetrating radar for multiple blocks. Staff noted $80k has already been approved and that the new proposal would add roughly $170k in year‑1 engineering with an optional $94k for additional test pits; members said better front‑end data would lower the risk of major mid‑project change orders.

“As we learned from Liberty and the surprises we uncovered, the more you do on the front end, probably the fewer revisions of that project budget we'll have to deal with,” Ricketts said. Members asked staff to confirm scope and grant‑match implications; some favored adding the tests now to strengthen construction estimates for future grant applications.

Why it matters: Insufficient subsurface data has driven cost overruns on prior local projects. Council emphasized investing in geotechnical work now to protect contingency funds and keep major construction lines predictable.