Paragonah council adds road as change order, awards nearly $4.0 million in water contracts

The Paragonah Town Council voted July 8 to add access‑road construction for two future water tanks as a change order to its water improvement project and awarded contracts to drill a new well and to build the water system.

Chair (S1) opened discussion of agenda item 5 and said the town had located stakes for two tank pads and needed a 12‑by‑30 pad suitable for a drill rig and concrete truck. Staff outlined three procurement options — add the road as a change order to the selected contractor, put the road out for separate bids, or perform the work with town equipment — and recommended including it as a change order to avoid a separate bidding delay. Committee member (S4) moved to add the road work as a change order; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: including the road as a change order lets the town consolidate mobilization and scheduling with the main contractor but raises oversight and cost‑control issues the council said it wants resolved before construction starts.

The council then reviewed bids for well drilling and the larger water improvement package. Staff recommended awarding the well‑drilling contract to Grimshaw Drilling at $597,665; the motion to award carried by voice vote. For the larger pipeline/tank/installation work, staff recommended Rollins Construction and Trucking; council members reviewed local references and noted Rollins’ low mobilization line item as the principal price variance versus other bidders. The council accepted Rollins’ bid of $3,358,193.36 by voice vote.

Council discussion emphasized two follow‑up actions: obtain geotechnical confirmation once the drill rig is mobilized to address concerns about the blue‑colored clay at the upper tank site, and refine meter‑replacement costs. Staff said one contractor suggested replacing meter tops to save costs while others recommended full meter replacements with new radio read modules. Members discussed tank material: a concrete tank was described as more durable but costlier and a steel tank roughly 30% cheaper and could free funds for meters.

Votes at a glance: the council approved (voice) a motion to add the road as a change order, awarded Grimshaw Drilling the well contract at $597,665, and awarded Rollins Construction the water improvement contract at $3,358,193.36.

Next steps: staff will confirm geotech results once drilling begins, produce refined cost estimates (road, meters, and tank material alternatives), finalize change‑order language with the chosen contractor, and record required easements from adjacent property owners before mobilization.