MDOT contract for storm debris cleanup grows to $2.88 million
The increase brings the total value of the contract with Thompson Engineering to $2,879,240. During the meeting, Commissioner Wilson questioned the size of the change order, telling MDOT staff, "I'm just want to confirm that those numbers are correct. Just kind of unaccustomed to see in a change order of that magnitude on a project that started out so low." MDOT staff responded that debris-cleanup quantities are difficult to estimate at the outset of such contracts, and that the amount of debris had increased significantly, extending the project's timeline. The commission approved the increase after the exchange.
The change order more than doubles the original contract value, an increase that drew scrutiny not from an outside party but from a sitting commissioner questioning staff directly at a public meeting. Debris-monitoring contracts tied to storm cleanup are among the infrastructure-related expenditures that draw attention for cost growth, and the exchange reflects the kind of oversight question that can arise when a project's costs rise well beyond its initial estimate.