Board approves $98,134 amendment for Town Line Road engineering; MnDOT LRIP to cover costs

Public Works director Chris presented a requested contract amendment to Houston Engineering on the Town Line Road project and told commissioners the firm seeks an additional $98,134 because federal funding triggered a Section 106 archeological review and the need to hire a subconsultant, plus added design work for right-of-way negotiation.

"So like I said, in total, they're requesting additional $98,134 to the original contract amount," Chris said. He explained the project had received state and local grant commitments, and those grants (MnDOT LRIP and other programs) can cover engineering increases rather than the county levy.

Commissioners asked whether consultants should have anticipated contingencies; staff responded that some firms include contingencies and some do not and that the federal funding arrived later in the design phase, prompting extra reviews. The board approved the contract amendment by voice vote and then approved amending the MnDOT LRIP agreement (MnDOT agreement 1055407) to increase engineering funding to $413,701 so the additional engineering fees would be grant-eligible.

Why it matters: the amendment reduces the risk of project delay but reduces the construction budget available under the same grant umbrella by about $98,000; Public Works said the total project estimate remains in the roughly $10 million range and that advancing engineering expenditures is preferable to reissuing an RFP midstream.

Ending: With the engineering amendment and the LRIP grant adjustment signed and forwarded to MnDOT, staff said they expect a late-summer/early-fall bid opening to secure competitive contractor pricing.