Redevelopment Commission approves $139,298 change order for downtown streetscape project

The Valparaiso City Redevelopment Commission on Jan. 8 approved Change Order No. 5 for the downtown streetscape project, authorizing $139,298.38 to cover quantity overages, pavement and concrete work and scope added during construction.

City project manager Max presented the final payment request and said differences from earlier estimated totals stemmed from higher-than-anticipated quantities and pavement removal costs. "If you go through the submitted estimate, line by line, original asphalt quantities increased, and we ended up about $133,000 over on quantities," Max said.

Commissioners pressed staff for details after noticing an apparent mismatch between a $3,701 figure shown on a line item and the $139,298.38 final request. One commissioner said it was ‘‘alarming’’ that the amount ballooned at project close and asked for a clear breakdown; Max agreed to provide line-item documentation. Staff explained some overages related to finding concrete under asphalt on Lincoln Way, which increased pavement-removal costs, and to additional paving and sidewalk work added on Morgan Avenue during construction.

The motion to approve the change order was made and seconded from the dais and carried by voice vote; the meeting record shows the tally as four in favor and one opposed. No individual roll-call mapping to each vote was recorded in the packet.

The project has accumulated multiple change orders; commissioners asked staff to include, in future memos, a short summary of causes for overruns (scope changes, inflation/timing, or quantity variances) rather than a full line-by-line comparison. Staff said they would provide the requested breakdown at the next meeting or on request.

The change order covers final contractor compensation and closes out that phase of construction; staff will follow up with the commission with the requested overage documentation.