Council Settles Sidewalk Overrun, Sheriff's Contract Moves Forward
- Trinity Gruenberg
- 30 minutes ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Verndale City Council held their regular meeting on Monday, December 8.
Sidewalk Cost Overage Settled
Moore Engineering provided an update on the Safe Routes to School sidewalk project.
John Pauna of Moore Engineering explained that the project had exceeded its original budget of $436,237.79, reaching a final recommended total of $499,675.85.
The overage ($63,438) was due to various field adjustments and additional work, including extra sidewalk, material, and changes during construction.
The council, Moore Engineering, and staff reviewed payment history and outstanding amounts. The city had already made a substantial interim payment and was finalizing a remaining balance of $37,419.29.
There was also discussion about a contractor’s additional request for $17,000 in excavation, which Moore Engineering did not recommend for payment since it exceeded contract specifications.
Recognizing communication gaps and cost overruns, Moore Engineering offered to reimburse the city $30,000 toward the project overage and to waive further engineering invoices since June, aiming to share responsibility and move forward.
Council members debated the sufficiency and fairness of this offer, weighing the project’s value, contract ambiguities, and future relationships with both the engineer and contractor.
After discussion, the council agreed to accept Moore Engineering’s $30,000 contribution, as going to court would be more expensive.
The process for final payment was to be completed once all required paperwork, including lien waivers, was prepared and contract reconciliation was finalized...
