HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated September 29, 2026ITEM #:4
DATE:09-29-26
DEPT:W&PC
SUBJECT:NUTRIENT REDUCTION MODIFICATIONS WORK CHANGE DIRECTIVE
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
Woodruff Construction is the general contractor for the Nutrient Reduction Modifications at the
Water Pollution Control Facility. A part of the project requires the installation of two new large-
diameter (30” and 36”) pipes between the Solids Contact Basin and the clarifier splitter box.
As the contractor began excavating the trench for these pipes, they encountered an electrical
duct bank that was not expected in that location. The duct includes electrical and fiber lines
that are to remain in use after the construction. These lines need to be relocated before the
pipe installation can proceed.
The contractor has informed the City that receiving immediate approval for the duct
bank relocation is critical to the flow of work on the project. Before the pipeline
subcontractor (On Track) can proceed, the electrical subcontractor (Van Maanan) needs to
trace the terminations of the existing power and communication lines and relocate them
outside of the work area. If the work cannot proceed quickly, then the pipeline contractor will
need to demobilize from the site and return at a later date, delaying the pace of construction
and resulting in additional costs to the City.
The City’s consulting engineer has worked closely with the general contractor to
prepare a scope of work for the change and has reviewed the contractor ’s proposed
plan to perform the work on a “time-and-materials” basis with a not-to-exceed amount
of $68,500. The consultant has held very direct talks with the general contractor about the
need for the subcontractors to be efficient in their execution of the change in order to minimize
the cost to the City, and the general contractor is committed to ensuring that the work is
performed efficiently.
It is important to note that the cables in the duct bank still need to be identified and an
appropriate relocation plan prepared. The consultant and contractor have prepared a
work plan based on the best information currently available, and the not-to-exceed cost
is based on that plan. However, it is possible that the relocation costs could be higher
than anticipated should the actual conditions be different than currently believed.
Additional City approvals could be necessary, and staff will closely monitor the progress of the
work as it proceeds.
The approval being requested by the Council is to authorize a Work Change Directive in
a not-to-exceed amount of $68,500. Once the work is completed and the actual costs
are known, a change order will be executed to incorporate the revised work and the
cost into the construction contract. That would come back to the City Council for
approval at that time. The contract currently has $2,993,699 in available contingency (after
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all currently approved change orders) in the funds authorized by Council in the CIP, and there
is still $5,039,504 available in the State Revolving Fund loan.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the attached Work Change Directive to authorize the relocation of the duct bank
in an amount not to exceed $68,500.
2. Do not approve the Work Change Directive. This would significantly impact the treatment
performance of the completed work.
3. Refer this item back to staff for further information. This may result in increased costs for
the pipeline contractor to re-mobilize once direction has been provided.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Prior to construction, City staff had attempted to locate all known buried utilities in the site so
that they could be shown as accurately as possible. Unfortunately, this electrical duct bank
was not identified as being in the trench line for the large diameter pipes, and the conflict was
not discovered until excavation had commenced. Delaying work to allow the lines to be fully
traced would come at a significant cost in both dollars and construction time.
The contractor has proposed doing the work on a time and materials basis with a not-to-
exceed cap of $68,500. Staff believes this is the most efficient way to handle the change at
the lowest cost to the City. Timely approval from Council is important to avoid construction
shutdowns and remobilization charges from subcontractors. Therefore, it is the
recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as noted
above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
WCD 1 Signed by Strand with enclosures.pdf
Duct Bank Conflict.pdf
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Initials\S:\MAD\4400--4499\4429\014\Construction\Change Orders\WCD 1\Work Change Directive 1.docx
Work Change Directive
Directive No.:1 Contract:2024-089
Owner:City of Ames, Iowa By:Dan Miers
Contractor:Woodruff Construction, Inc.Date:9/22/2026
Description of Work Cost
Deduction
Cost
Addition
Demolish the ductbank, as necessary,located just north of Structure 85 to
connect the 36” and 30” ML pipes into Structure 85.Reroute existing
fiber/wire located in this ductbank that is still in service.At a minimum, control
wire for the blower flow meters at Structure 70 is expected to be located in
this ductbank and will need to be rerouted.Contractor shall verify location
and elevation of existing ductbank. See enclosed record drawings for
approximate location.See enclosed pricing from the Contractor.
Demolish the ductbank, as necessary,running northwest to southeast
located just south of the northwest final clarifier to lay the 36” and 30” ML
pipes as shown on the drawings. Contractor shall verify ML pipe elevation
required to route over TFE pipes and avoid high or low points in the ML
pipes.Reroute existing fiber/wire located in this ductbank that is still in
service. At a minimum, fiber connecting RTU 2 and RTU 3 is expected to be
located in this ductbank and will need to be rerouted.Contractor shall verify
location and elevation of existing ductbank. See enclosed record drawings for
approximate location.See enclosed pricing from the Contractor.
Total $68,500.00
Remarks:
All work will be done under time and materials. The cost of these changes is not to exceed $68,500.00.
Change in Contract Price by:
Supplemental Unit Price Unit Price Time and Materials Not to
Exceed Price
Requested by:Strand Associates, Inc.®9/22/2026
Date
Recommended by:
Dan Miers, Strand Associates, Inc.®(Engineer)
9/22/2026
Date
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Initials\S:\MAD\4400--4499\4429\014\Construction\Change Orders\WCD 1\Work Change Directive 1.docx
Work Change Directive
Accepted by:
,Woodruff Construction, Inc (Contractor)Date
Approved by:
,City of Ames, Iowa (Owner)Date
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Greiner, Sam
From:Zach Phillips <zachp@woodruff.build>
Sent:Tuesday, September 22, 2026 2:38 PM
To:Greiner, Sam; Heuser, Laramie
Cc:Joel Guthrie; Grant Reimers; tyler.vermeer; Ruddy, Jenny; Karnes, Jack; Miers, Dan;
Bartolerio, Nick; Schuster, Brent
Subject:Re: External: Ames WPCF - Work Change Directive 1 for Ductbank Removal and
Rerouting Wire
[EXTERNAL EMAIL]: Verify sender before opening links or attachments.
Sam,
Based on the items listed in the WCD. We would assign a NTE price to this of $68,500. If there are additional items
in the ductbank that need re-routed, not identified in the WCD, those items would result in an increase to the NTE.
Thank you,
Zach Phillips | Senior Project Manager
Employee Owner
Woodruff Construction
Cell: 641-352-0470
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www.woodruff.build
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you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any distribution, disclosure, copying, or taking of any action regarding the contents of this
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and then please delete. Thank you.- Woodruff Construction.
From: Greiner, Sam <Sam.Greiner@strand.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 2:30 PM
To: Heuser, Laramie <laramie.heuser@cityofames.org>; Zach Phillips <zachp@woodruff.build>
Cc: Joel Guthrie <joelg@woodruff.build>; Grant Reimers <grantr@woodruff.build>; tyler.vermeer
<tyler.vermeer@cityofames.org>; Ruddy, Jenny <jenny.ruddy@strand.com>; Karnes, Jack <Jack.Karnes@strand.com>;
Miers, Dan <Dan.Miers@strand.com>; Bartolerio, Nick <Nick.Bartolerio@strand.com>; Schuster, Brent
<Brent.Schuster@strand.com>
Subject: External: Ames WPCF - Work Change Directive 1 for Ductbank Removal and Rerouting Wire
Laramie and Zach,
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Please see the attached WCD 1 for the removal of 2 sections of ductbank and rerouting of wire located in
those ductbanks. This is not signed by Strand yet as we have not received pricing and cannot
recommend the WCD to the Owner until pricing has been reviewed. At this time, the WCD does not
include additional work to investigate the wiring within the ductbank as that work was included in the
original drawings. Keynote 6 on Sheet 05-DC1.01 of the drawings calls for the removal of all wiring
associated with electrical equipment that is called for demolition, this would include MCC-2 and any
electrical equipment located in the basement of Structure 70. Removal of this wiring would have
identified the existing wire in both ductbanks that needs to be rerouted.
Zach - Please provide a not to exceed price as for the two items listed in the WCD.
Laramie -
radar. Once Strand receives pricing for the WCD we will pass it along for City approval, assuming the not
to exceed price is reasonable. We will need the City’s signature at that time.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Sam
Sam Greiner
Strand Associates, Inc.®
515.233.0000 ext. 8159
Sam.Greiner@strand.com |www.strand.com
Excellence in EngineeringSM
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