Othello council questions sewer project charge

City to pay extra $7,239

OTHELLO — A change order on a sewer construction bill did not fit well with the Othello City Council Monday night.

"I'm not really sure we should pay their change order," Councilmember Kenneth Caylor said. "I'm a real stickler on change orders."

The additional charges from construction company totaled $7,239.28. The additional charges are due to unanticipated hard soil encountered at the site, according to city documents.

Someone from the construction company should have tested the site adequately so they could give a proper bid on the project and ensure they have the right equipment, he added.

"We found very easy digging and probably didn't go far enough," Municipal Services Coordinator Jay Van Ness said.

He said two test holes were dug by the city and no hard soil was found. The information was reported to the construction company so they could submit a proper bid.

Mayor Shannon McKay said he agreed with Caylor.

They should stick to the bid given to the city to complete the work, he said.

"Very interesting discussion, I suggest you pay this change order," City Attorney Jim Whitaker said. "A three percent change order on a project this size is not at all out of line."

Othello has not encountered many change orders, City Administrator Ehman Sheldon said. After conversations between the engineers and the contractors, it was determined they should receive the money, he said.

"This is an absolute right for the contractor to be paid for extra work," Whitaker said.

Councilmember Marc Spohr asked if the contractor has a responsibility to inspect the site.

"To inspect would be for them to trespass," Whitaker said.

Van Ness said he does not foresee anymore change orders for the project.

"The good news is, we're still within our budget," McKay said.

The cost for the project is $173,322.03, according to city documents. More than $206,000 was budgeted for the construction.