Mitchell Hollow Trail: council trims a change order to $148,084 after a $15,000 engineering increase

Highland's City Council voted 5–0 on Sept. 1, 2026 to approve a contract modification with Consor for additional construction engineering and inspection on the Mitchell Hollow Trail "in the amount up to $15,000," according to the approved minutes. ^[1]

The minutes say Consor, which designed the trail, was retained for construction management at $25,000 and had reached that ceiling. Staff said the added amount falls within the project's overall contingency. ^[1]

The project's funding

Assistant Public Works Director Jeff Murdoch said total project funding is approximately $2.5 million, with Highland's match at approximately $171,081, or 6.77%, and a remaining contingency of over $372,000, according to the minutes. ^[1]

The minutes also say staff had negotiated a contractor change order request down from approximately $200,000 to roughly half that amount. ^[1]

The Oct. 6 change order

The council voted 5–0 on Oct. 6 to approve a change order with Vancon of up to $148,083.65. The city's Council Brief for that meeting says the figure was reduced from the $160,129.20 first proposed after further negotiation, and that it covers added fill in place of a retaining wall at one property and traffic-calming chicanes at another. ^[3]

The meeting packet is less tidy than the result. Its staff report asks for up to $160,129.20, including a 10% contingency, while the model motion printed a page later says $169,129.20. The approved ceiling is the one the city reports, and the packet's remaining-contingency figure assumed the larger proposal. ^[5]

The same Oct. 6 session approved two right-of-way arrangements for 9600 North, a property exchange and an in-kind purchase. These are separate authorizations. Nothing here shows either has closed, been paid or been built. ^[3]

Payments

The city's large-purchase register for September 2026 lists a Sept. 22 payment of $282,515.75 to VanCon for the Mitchell Hollow Trail. The council ratified that register 5–0 on Oct. 20. One register line is a single payment, so it cannot be read as the project's total paid or total cost. ^[2][4]