Utility oversight adds cost to culvert project
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen questioned a nearly $50,000 change order for the South Monticello Road culvert replacement before unanimously approving it Thursday, Sept. 24.
“The purpose of this item is to approve a change order request from Adams Contracting LLC for changes required,” assistant Town engineer Eric Schindler said.
Adams Contracting was awarded the contract May 7 to replace an existing 42-inch corrugated metal pipe with a 42-inch reinforced concrete pipe near 11619 S. Monticello Road.
However, utility conflicts were discovered soon after construction began, Schindler said.
“Upon further review, the utilities were not marked when the design survey was completed,” he said. “Our design consultant, Cannon & Cannon, performed multiple revisions in an effort to obtain a workable set of plans.”
Once those revisions were completed, the final plan called for a straight headwall instead of the U-type headwall originally planned.
Adams Contracting submitted a change order for $49,908.05. The additional work includes removing and resetting a new catch basin on the upstream end of the pipe, grading and installing the new straight headwall, disposing of the U-type headwall and covering additional time and equipment needed to complete the project.
The change order increases the contract from $139,767 to $189,675.
Vice Mayor Greg Wiberley questioned how the utilities went unidentified during the design process.
“I’m just curious on the unmarked utility part,” Wiberley said. “I know when I’ve called Tennessee One Call before, I get a list of utilities that they contact and can verify that those markings have been made. What happened in this instance, where things weren’t identified?”
“It was an oversight on the design surveying team,” Schindler said. “They mistakenly made the assumption that the cross drain was a straight removal and replacement and, if no conflicts existed at the time, that there would be no conflicts for the replacement.
“It’s an error that, frankly, I don’t foresee ever happening again,” he added. “It’s not something we expected to see.”
Wiberley questioned whether the design consultant was being held responsible for the mistake.
“Well, in my experience, when my subcontractors don’t perform like they’re supposed to, we hold them accountable,” he said. “I know Cannon & Cannon is paying for the original headwall, correct?”
“That’s correct,” Schindler said.
Alderman Joey Ruffalo asked whether all utilities had been verified against the final construction plan.
“Absolutely,” Schindler said.
Ruffalo also asked about the revised completion date, including an estimated four-week lead time for the new headwall.
“I don’t have an exact date on that,” Schindler said. “Ideally, four weeks is their kind of conservative estimate.”
The board unanimously approved the change order, allowing Adams Contracting to order the precast straight headwall.
Schindler said the Town also is working on an agreement with Cannon & Cannon that would reimburse the town $16,076.37 for the first phase of additional work resulting from the design error.
In other action, the Board:
• Approved on first reading a budget amendment transferring $16.1 million from the Capital Fund available fund balance to capital improvement program expenditures to cover previously approved projects that were not completed by the end of the fiscal year.
• Approved on second reading a budget amendment transferring $40,000 from the Capital Fund available fund balance to fiscal 2027 CIP expenditures for the Everett Road Greenway Connector project because of a higher-than-expected bid.
• Proclaimed Oct. 11 as Daughters of the American Revolution Day.
• Declared a tractor with a boom mower, three trailers and two Ford F-150 trucks surplus property to be sold.
• Approved the purchase and installation of illuminated street signs for $213,847. Mayor Alex Cain asked that two signs planned for Turkey Creek Road instead be installed on Village Commons Boulevard. The second phase will add 36 illuminated street signs at 13 intersections throughout Farragut.
• Approved a special events permit for St. John Neumann Catholic Church and School’s annual Mustang Miler 5K on Saturday, Oct. 17. The event will run from 8 to 11 a.m., beginning at the school and church. The course will use the Grigsby Chapel Greenway, traveling east before turning around at the trailhead at the Park and Ride lot at the west end of Campbell Lakes Drive and returning to the starting point.
