Council reviews large contract modification for project consultants; staff cites expanded management role

City staff outlined a recommendation to expand a consultant contract that began in 2019 (reported in the presentation as originally $3.2 million) into a $42,000,000 modification to support project-management services through construction.

Chief Administrative Officer Matsebo (as introduced on the record) told council members the firm (described in the meeting record using several variant transcriptions) began in the conceptual phase and has shifted to managing schedules, quality control, milestones and dispute resolution. Matsebo said some subcontractors were selected in the original 2019 procurement while other subcontracts were procured in 2023. He said the city currently has a broader budget envelope for the project (reported in the staff remarks as roughly $70.7 million) and anticipated a possible cumulative cap near $76,000,000.

Council members pressed staff for more oversight and monitoring tools. One councilmember asked whether the modification could include incentives or penalties tied to delivery schedules; Matsebo said staff could investigate but could not recommend adding those provisions in the current modification and suggested the council could request further changes in later modifications. Another member asked for monthly status reports and transparent accounting for the prime contractor and subcontractors; staff agreed to provide a first results code and monthly updates to the council and public.

The council proceeded to open and close the vote list on Item 5, and staff recorded the item as passing ('Pase a favor') on the floor record.

Why it matters: The modification increases the city'9s exposure to consultant spending for a major project. Councilmembers emphasized the need for clearer reporting and accountability because the scope and costs have expanded since the original award.

Quotes:
"Esta compaf1eda ha estado con nosotros desde 2019 ..." (Matsebo, describing the contractor'9s role evolution).

Clarifying numeric details from the meeting record: staff presentation cited the 2019 baseline contract as "3.2 1000000" (interpreted in discussion as $3.2 million), proposed modification as "42000000" ($42,000,000), and a broader project contract pool referenced as "70,70000000" (presented in the record; staff also referenced a potential cumulative total of "76000000"). Those figures are reported here as presented in the staff remarks and should be treated as staff-provided estimates recorded in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: Staff said it expects further modifications as work continues; council members requested monthly status updates and transparent accounting for the prime contractor and subconsultants. The item passed on the council floor as recorded.