HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution 2023-03-01 Authorizing Town Manager to Sign Change Order Documents for the Merrick & Company Contract TOWN OF FRASER
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-03-01
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO SIGN CHANGE ORDER
DOCUMENTS FOR THE MERRICK & COMPANY CONTRACT TO COMPLETE THE WATER
EFFICIENCY PLAN AND 10-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMET PLAN
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees authorized supporting creation of a Water Efficiency
Plan during the November 17, 2021 meeting and that plan included projected expenses of $50,
000 and grant support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees authorized expending up to $60,000 for a Water
System 10-year Capital Improvement Plan to be completed by Merrick and Company during the
January 7, 2022 meeting.
WHEREAS, Merrick and Company has requested a Change Order on the combined
projects which could extend the completion date to May 31, 2023 and increase FY23 expenses
by $35,000 to compile additional data and staff input.
WHEREAS, the Town of Fraser will be eligible for $35,955.38 in reimbursement from the
Colorado Water Board once the Water Efficiency Plan is completed and accepted.
WHEREAS, the Town of Fraser Governance Policy (1.4.1.) requires the Town Manager
to bring unbudgeted expenses above $10,000 to the Board of Trustees.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF
FRASER, COLORADO THAT:
1. The Town Manager to authorized to sign Change Order Requests from Merrick &
Company up to $40,000 in order to complete the Water Efficiency Plan and 10-year
Water Capital Improvement Plan prior to June 1, 2023.
READ, PASSED ON ROLL CALL VOTE, AND ADOPTED THIS 1st DAY OF MARCH .
Votes in favor: RUSTEES OF E
Votes opposed: 0 TOWN OF A , COL O
Abstained: SZ
BY:
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Employee Owned
2480 W. 26th Street, Unit B225
Denver, Colorado 80211 Tel: +1 303-800-9045 hello@merrick.com
www.merrick.com
February 1, 2023
Paul Johnson, Public Works Director
Town of Fraser
PO Box 370
153 Fraser Avenue
Fraser, Colorado 80442
Via email: pjohnson@town.fraser.co.us
RE: Request for Consideration of Change Order
for Water Efficiency Plan and 10-YR Water CIP Report Projects
Dear Paul:
In early January 2023 I shared information with the Town that Merrick is over budget on the Water Efficiency
Plan (WEP) and the 10-YR Water CIP projects as of December 31, 2022. I indicated that Merrick would follow up
with a letter to request a change order, for the Town’s consideration. This letter includes the requests for the
Water Efficiency Plan and the 10-YR Water CIP.
The original scopes of work did not include or anticipate additional effort spent and we request
consideration for a change order or request permission to charge this time as Time and Materials to the existing
General Services project account.
The reasons for the overage fall into three main categories:
• Effort on project management
• Complexities of data discovery and analysis
• Identifying SFEs and EQRs
Project Management. Project management tasks such as weekly progress meetings and monthly invoicing were
not included in the original scope of work. Merrick initiated the weekly 30-minute progress meeting in April
2022 in part to improve the Merrick team’s knowledge of the Town and to improve efficiency with the execution
of the three Capital Improvements Projects (Sewer crossing, WEP, and 10-YR Water CIP). These weekly progress
meetings turned out to be of great benefit to all as both Merrick and the Town experienced staff transitions and
changes.
Starting in September, I developed and included a brief Monthly Report. The report identifies tasks completed
during the month and a snapshot of the total contract amount, total amount spent, amount remaining, and the
amount of the invoice.
These project management tasks and tools are essential to successful project communications, progress, and
completion. They should have been included in the scope but were not. Merrick requests a 50-50 cost sharing
of these historical costs because of the mutual benefit derived.
2
Data Discovery and Analysis. Merrick spent effort on investigating complexities of the data analysis portion of
the work that was not anticipated when the project was scoped. Merrick is grateful for all the data and
assistance from Staff to find it, provide it, and help explain it. The water data itself was provided in different
formats including digital and PDF that required data-entry time to input into a digital format. The scope identifies
monthly water demand data and the Town’s demand data was provided quarterly. The quarterly data needed
to be de-accumulated which took more effort than anticipated, revealed several anomalies and errors that
required explaining and re-analyzing. Neither Merrick nor the Town knew the effort to obtain and analyze the
data would be challenging until we started digging in.
In January 2023, Merrick was provided with copies of the 1998 and 2003 annexation agreements between the
Town and Rendez Vous/Grand Park. Discovering these documents 10 months after the project started and on
the cusp of submitting the 10-YR Water CIP Report required Merrick to review them to determine if changes
would be required to the report. Data discovery affects both Merrick and Town staff and causes us to wonder
what other documents might be out there, that we do not know about. The effort to continue to discover
documents was not anticipated with the projects were scoped.
Identifying SFE and EQR. When Merrick scoped the projects, no effort was directly included to identify, tabulate,
or reconcile SFEs and EQRs. The on-going complexity of coordinating SFE/EQR counts with the Town, HRS and
water supply, and reconcile with previous water studies was not anticipated when scoping the project. These
numbers are critical to demonstrating that the right amount of water exists in the place that it is needed and
legally allowed. Merrick spent effort to attempt to identify, tabulate, and reconcile SFEs and EQRs that we did
not anticipate.
The table below shows a summary of the budget status of the two projects and the estimated cost to complete
the work. An explanation of the table is provided below.
For the 10-YR Water CIP, the original budget amount was $45,000. At the end of 2022 Merrick experienced an
overage of $4,735 due to the efforts described above. Merrick is able to take responsibility for the overage from
2022. Merrick will share 50% of the historical project management cost bringing Merrick’s costs to $8,573. The
Requested Change Order and Estimated Cost to Complete includes two items:
• The cost for shared project management tasks from 2022 is $3,838.
• The remaining work to complete the 10-YR Water CIP includes project management tasks for January and
February 2023; submitting the 1st draft of the 10-YR Water CIP (complete), reviewing and compiling
Merrick Costs
Project Name
Original
Budget Total
Amount
Amount
Remaining
as of
12/31/2022
Percent
Spent
50% of
Historical
Project
Managne-
ment
Tasks
Overage
from 2022
Merrick
Costs to
Absorb
50% of
Historical
Project
Manage-
ment
Tasks
Remaining
Work
Total Cost
to
Complete
10 YR Water CIP $45,000 -$4,735 111% $3,838 $4,735 $8,573 $3,838 $11,155 $14,993
Water Efficiency Plan $42,000 -$9,782 123% $3,838 $9,782 $13,620 $3,838 $15,865 $19,702
Totals $22,192 $34,695
Budget Items
Requested Change Order
Estimated Cost to Complete
3
comments; finalizing the 10-YR Water CIP; and holding a remote meeting with the Town. The estimated cost
is $14,993.
The cost of the remaining work is an estimate and depends greatly on the comments received and the amount
of effort to edit or revise the 10-YR Water CIP. The assumption is that the comments will require minor edits
such as clarifying existing text or other similar fixes. Minor edits exclude additional coordination with HRS, data
gathering and analysis including SFE/EQR counts, edits to incorporate estimates of the buildout of Grand Park;
revisions to costs, reading new documents that may be discovered, or major edits requiring effort in excess of
the proposed amount. If effort above the estimated amount is requested, Merrick will request an additional
change order.
For the WEP, the original budget amount was $42,000. At the end of 2022 Merrick experienced an overage of
$9,782 due to the reasons described above. Merrick is able to take responsibility for the overage from 2022.
Merrick will share 50% of the historical project management cost bringing Merrick’s costs to $13,620. The
Requested Change Order and Estimated Cost to Complete includes two items:
• The cost for shared project management tasks from 2022 total is $3,838.
• The remaining work to complete the WEP includes project management tasks for January, February, and
March 2023; finalizing and submitting the draft WEP (complete); reviewing and compiling the comments;
finalizing the WEP and resubmitting the document; and preparing for and presenting the WEP to the Board
including two Merrick staff and an overnight stay. The estimated cost to complete these tasks is $19,702.
Similar to the 10-YR Water CIP, the remaining work is an estimate and depends greatly on the comments
received and the amount of effort to edit or revise the WEP and the amount of effort to develop and present to
the Board. The assumption is that the comments require minor edits or changes. If effort above the estimated
amount is requested, Merrick will request an additional change order.
The total amount of the requested change order is $34,695 spread over the 10-YR Water CIP and the WEP. If
acceptable to the Town, Merrick will charge time to the existing General Services task order. Merrick appreciates
consideration of the request. Please call me at 303-353-3359 or email at julie.koehler@merrick.com with
questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Merrick & Company
Julie Koehler, PE
Senior Project Manager
cc: Monica Kopf, Project Manager