Teton County delegates $100K Justice Center change-order signoff to staff

Teton County commissioners approved a resolution March 3 authorizing the county’s director of General Services to execute Justice Center change orders of up to $100,000 each, so long as the costs stay within the project’s budget/scope and the total of county-held contingency spent under the delegation does not exceed $2 million. Change orders over $100,000—or any change orders after the $2 million aggregate threshold is reached—must go back to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. (Board of Supervisors Staff Report and Resolution Attachment)

The same resolution also authorizes the General Services director to approve the contractor’s use of contractor-held contingency specified in the project’s guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contract. County staff told commissioners the delegation is intended to speed responses to construction issues and keep timelines moving, with staff required to brief the board on a bi-monthly basis about what change orders were signed and under which contingency category. (Board of Supervisors Staff Report and Resolution Attachment)

In its fiscal impact section, the staff report framed the change-order process around multiple contingency pools: about $5.1 million in contractor-held contingency and allowances within the GMP, plus $2 million of the roughly $4.8 million in contingency the county is holding. A separate staff report in the same March 3 packet recommended approval of a $23,713.99 Justice Center-related change order for temporary offices, with items such as freeze protection and electrical/code adjustments drawing on contractor and owner contingency. (Board of Supervisors Staff Report and Resolution Attachment; Justice Center Staff Report)