Council reviews costly Gresham Smith amendment for Rock Springs Road design and asks for clearer deliverables

Town staff outlined a recommended amendment and supplemental contracts with engineering firm Gresham Smith to deliver roadway and signal design for Rock Springs Road improvements. One proposed amendment would add about $801,200 to the existing contract; an alternative, limited scope to reach right‑of‑way (ROW) level (roughly 80–90% of construction plans) would add about $434,700 for a total near $571,050 for that phase.

Staff said the ROW‑level option would allow the town to identify property and easement needs and avoid spending on full construction plans that may change during ROW negotiations; council members asked for a clearer schedule of deliverables and milestones and expressed concern about potential scope creep or change orders.

“Will the timeline be an executed contract with dates for each milestone?” a council member asked. Staff said Dave had requested milestone dates and that revised contract language including delinquency clauses would be in the next packet.

Council also discussed levels of service and whether the proposed design would achieve A or B levels during peak traffic; staff said the design intends to reach about a C/D during peak hours and that off‑peak conditions would operate better. Several members pushed staff to confirm whether traffic forecasts accounted for nearby intersection improvements.

Next steps: Staff will obtain revised contracts with explicit milestone dates, deliverables and delinquency language and provide a final recommendation at the upcoming council meeting.