Policy on Change Orders to Contracts for Construction and Consultants
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish Board approval authorizing the County Administrator to negotiate change orders to certain existing and new contracts for construction and consultants.
Policy
It is the policy of the Board of County Commissioners to authorize the County Administrator to negotiate change orders to certain new and existing contracts for construction and consultants according to the following criteria.
- The County’s Chief Financial Officer certifies that any increased costs are within the budgeted funds or are otherwise proper expenditures under the provisions of sec. 129.07-08, Florida Statutes (1987), as amended.
- The amount of any increased cost paid by the County does not exceed $120.00 or 25 percent in the aggregate, whichever is less, of the original amount. When this limit is reached, contract documentation of change order expenditures must be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners unless additional amounts are authorized by the Board.
- The construction contract does not contain a prevision for allowance work as authorized by Resolution No. R90-0134.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the County Administrator to substantiate and to clarify that the change order accomplishes one or more of the following purposes:
- The prevention or elimination of a danger or hazard to public health, safety or welfare;
- The change in work materials, price or time, or any combination thereof, is necessary to complete the final project as intended by the Board, regardless of whether the specifications must be changed or not;
- To preserve the logical sequencing of the work in order to eliminate delay and increased cost;
- In response to unforeseen environmental requirements, bond or grant funding requirements, or other unforeseen occurrences on the project.
After the change orders are negotiated, the County Administrator will prepare a report of the amount of the change, the change in the work, the reason for the change, including certifications required under Resolution No. 88-0135 and the change order itself properly executed by the contractor or consultant’s company. The County Administrator shall present the report and submit the change order for ratification to the Board at the next available meeting.