Board authorizes $804,228 change order for Hanford library roof replacement; public seeks accounting of cumulative changes

The Kings County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 29 authorized change order No. 10 for the Hanford and Lemoore library remodels after staff said asbestos discovered under the roof required abatement and a full roof replacement.

Megan, an engineer with the county, told the board, “The total of change order number 10 is $804,228, and that's fully covered by the state grant.” Mitchell Cabrera, chief engineer, and Marissa Rodriguez, construction manager for APSI, said many change orders stem from unforeseen field conditions in older buildings and from incomplete original drawings. Rodriguez said, “Originally, the design team was working without asphalt drawings,” and that uncovering plaster walls and other hidden conditions drove some of the additional work.

A community member, Ruby Trava Lapio, urged the board to provide a cumulative accounting after 10 separate change orders and asked how much contingency remains, whether changes were primarily field conditions or design revisions, and whether the project still expects to finish on budget and on schedule. Ruby said the public deserves oversight before approving additional modifications.

Staff said some change orders are pursued against architects where the work was an error or omission; others reflect true unforeseen conditions that become apparent only during demolition. The board voted to approve the change order and authorized the public works director to sign the document; staff noted the change order is funded through the state grant associated with the project. No specific contingency figure was provided during the meeting.