Joint government center change order request would cut into contingency fund
By Rebecca Maynard
The costs for the joint town and government center under construction in Berryville may increase by about $31,000.On Wednesday, project architect Lowell Baughan, of Baughan and Baukhages Architects in Luray, met with County Administrator David Ash, Town Council member Allen Kitselman, and Clarke County Supervisor David Weiss to discuss a change order request for $31,403 for the project.
Most of the money is needed for rock removal within the original expansion of one of the stormwater tanks near the building's parking lot entrance. Baughan explained that the situation was not uncovered sooner because the area near the stormwater tank was being used as a construction entrance for the project, and could not be measured and analyzed for cost.
The $31,403 would nearly deplete the rest of the county's contingency fund for the project. The town has already used its contingency fund, which was needed after a mistake was made in the designing of an underwater stormwater tank.
Weiss stressed that although most, if not all, of the county's contingency fund will be needed for the change order, it would not put the project over budget.
But Ash, Weiss and Kitselman were all in agreement that a meeting needed to occur with the Board of Supervisors to discuss this change order and other possible change orders.
"Every dollar matters," Kitselman said.