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$954,000 Pettibone Road tab raises questions
(by Sue Reid - August 11, 2010)
$954,000 Pettibone Road tab raises questions
By SUE REID
Two change orders for the Pettibone Road reconstruction project amounting to nearly $1 million did not meet the approval last week of Solon City Council's public works committee.
The committee requested more information on the change orders. A detailed explanation of the costs is to be presented at a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16, prior to council's regular meeting.
The committee was given costs associated with winter premiums and replacing bad soil sub-bases for the project, resulting in two change orders amounting to just under $1 million. One of the change orders in the amount of $329,000 was related to the resequencing of the project, and the other for $625,000 was for undercuts to replace bad sub-base to ensure the longevity of the asphalt.
Following questions raised by Councilman Robert N. Pelunis, the committee requested more information and a better explanation of how those winter costs are related to the change order for the resequencing, which was already approved last November. The resequencing of the project cost the city $550,000.
Courtney Norris, contract administrator on the project with QCI, who was in attendance at the meeting, said that, when the resequencing for the project was put in place last year, the contractor agreed to a Nov. 30, 2010, completion date. In order to do the physical road construction in April, underground utility work needed to begin last fall and be completed by the end of the season, he said.
Mr. Norris said that, before the resequencing, the contractor on the job, Kenmore Construction, had planned to be shut down the entire winter.
The city agreed to a 32 percent premium for costs associated with winter work, Mr. Norris said, and now that 32 percent translates into $299,000.
"We agreed to an acceleration, but is this on top of that?" Mr. Pelunis asked. "Because it's colder, we're paying 32 percent more?"
Mr. Norris said that working in the winter involves dealing with snow removal and maintaining traffic, as well as additional costs dealing with winter work that would not have to be dealt with in the summer. In addition, there are shorter work days and frozen ground to deal with, he said.
"This 32 percent was agreed upon in order to keep with the Nov. 30 completion date," said Dan Driscoll, construction project administrator for the city.
"I understand the rationale behind this, but was there any way to lower the 32 percent premium?" Mr. Pelunis asked.
Mr. Driscoll said the 32 percent came after two months of negotiating.
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