Change order for alley project approved by city commission

A change order to the contract for the downtown alley project and an alternate to the bid for repairs at the Brown Grand Theatre were approved by the Concordia city commission during its regular meeting Wednesday at City Hall.
The commission approved a change order to the downtown alley project contract with Orr Wyatt Streetscapes in the amount not to exceed $45,000 to be paid in part by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award ($24,475.50) and in part by the city’s capital improvement project funds ($20,524.50).
The city entered into a contract with Orr Wyatt Streetscapes for the project which includes replacing the sanitary sewer pipe and storm sewer pipe that are more than 100 years old and regrading the pavement in the alleys between Sixth Street and Seventh Street from Lincoln Street to State Street.
A memo on the proposed change order to the commissioners from city manager Amy Lange stated that during excavation for the sanitary sewer replacement in the ally between Lincoln Street and Broadway Street, very wet soil was encountered. The excessive moisture was likely due to leakage from the existing undersized storm sewer pipe above, surface leakage due to cracked pavement and rain events experienced after the contractor began excavation. High humidity prevented the soil from drying in a timely manner even after the contractor attempted to spread it. Similar conditions are expected to exist in the middle and western blocks.
It was determined that the best solution is to haul away the wet soil to the city’s borrow pit where it can be spread to dry for a longer period of time while dry suitable soil from the borrow pit is hauled to fill the trench in the alley.
The equipment and labor to haul away wet soil and haul in suitable soil is considered extra work to the contract.
The commissioners were informed that using the soil from the city’s borrow pit helps to keep total costs resulting from the change order down as the city is not requesting compensation for the soil.
The known soil quantities from the east block of the project have been used to estimate the cost of potential work in the middle and west alleys, and that work is included in the not-to-exceed amount proposed by the change order.
The memo from Lange states that time is of the essence because, although the contract completion date currently remains at September 1, 2021, the project is eight weeks behind schedule and Concordia’s Fall Fest celebration will be held downtown in proximity to the alleys. To ensure safety of the public, completion of the east and middle alleys, including cleanup, prior to September 25 is critical.
“Had we not done this we probably would have lost another three to four weeks trying to dry out soil and put it back in. And that would have been our only solution,” Lange said.
CDBG approval is required for the change order, and was requested on June 28.
The commissioners were informed that the amount of the CDBG allocation does not change because of the change order.
The city was awarded $561,660 in CDBG funds and has provided a local match of $471,025 for a total allocation of $1,032,686.
The total project cost, including the two change orders so far, is $885,153.50.
“So we are still well under budget, theoretically, for the whole project,” Lange said.
Also approved by the commission during the meeting was accepting the quote from Mid-Continental Restoration of $5,387 for painting the exterior windows at the Brown Grand Theatre. The work will be paid for from the capital improvement projects funds.
The commission gave approval for needed repairs to the Brown Grand that included tuckpointing of the brick and stone, sealing around the exterior doors and windows, painting of the rear stage door and installation of panic hardware, fixing and replacement of some windows as well as some roof repair.
There was an oversight, and the painting of the exterior windows to complete the maintenance work to the building envelope was unintentionally excluded.
The current management agreement places the responsibility for building envelope repairs at the Brown Grand on the city as the owner of the building.
The commission also approved an ordinance vacating a portion of the 20th Street right-of-way.
The Catholic Church, represented by Jerry Gallagher, petitioned the city to vacate a portion of the right-of-way adjacent to and abutting the property on the south side of the Catholic Church Cemetery between Archer Street and Hill Street.
During the recent efforts by the church to upgrade perimeter fencing, improve the drainage ditches and adding an entrance on the north side of the cemetery, it was discovered that their use of land as a cemetery has resulted in a gravel drive, a storage shed and a few graves being in the city’s right-of-way.
The Planning Commission recommended that the city approve the ordinance vacating the portion of the right-of-way.
Vernon Palmer, Miltonvale, met with the commission during the meeting and expressed interest in acquiring the house owned by the city that is located at 330 West Sixth St. and moving it to property he owns near Miltonvale.
Palmer said that one of the issues with moving the house is that a lot of power lines would need to be moved. He said that he hoped within a week or two he would have some more answers as to the total cost involved.
The city is currently in the process of attempting to acquire the house next to the one Palmer is interested in. Both would be demolished or removed so a new public parking space can be constructed on the property.
Lange said that the goal is to have both houses gone and the ground leveled by the end of this calendar year.
Following the regular meeting, the commission participated in a study session on the use of American Rescue Plan funds.
The American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden on March 22, provides $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus to assist in the long-term recovery from the economic and public health impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city of Concordia has been allocated $756,560.84. Those funds will be distributed in two separate payments with 50 percent distributed initially and the remainder being distributed 12 months later.
Allocated funds must be spent by December 31, 2024.
The eligible uses for the funds include:
• To respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses and nonprofits or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel and hospitality.
• To respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers.
• For the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue during the COVID-19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year prior to the emergency.
• To make necessary investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.
The city staff made recommendations for use of the funds.