Monday morning crews were hard at work on the Fair Meadow Drive No. 2 project at the corner of Fair Meadow and Lisa drives. Larger sanitary and storm sewer facilities were reasons a change order for $25,700 was approved by Council Monday.

No one likes change orders, but they’re common in construction projects and especially common in very large construction projects. On Monday, the City Council of Webster City approved change orders for the Brewer Street/Willson Avenue and Fair Meadow Drive No. 2 street reconstruction projects, two of the largest in the city’s history.

Street Supervisor Brandon Bahrenfuss, who had hoped to have both projects finished by now, said, “Nobody is more frustrated at delays to completing street projects than we are. The city realizes we’ve inconvenienced people all summer on some of our busiest streets, but we won’t be guilty of spending a million dollars on a road project, only to dig it up a year or two later. That’s not wise use of tax dollars.”

Let’s look at each of the affected projects in some detail.

Brewer Street/Willson Avenue — This project is affected both by a change to the street design and a change order for added construction costs.

Width of Iowa streets is set by the Iowa Statewide Urban Design & Specifications (SUDAS) manual. Required width for urban streets with parking on one side is 26 to 31 feet. At present, Willson Avenue is 26 feet wide, but to safely allow on-street parking on the right side of the road during student drop-off and pick-up times at Pleasant View Elementary School, five feet additional width is being added.

Snyder & Associates, the city’s consultant, will bill $14,300 for additional work by an on-call paving specialist to manage the project. This will be paid for by water, sewer and local-option sales tax — LOST — funds.

Change order No. 2 adds construction projects not in the original scope of work. These include:

— A 6-inch water main replacement and new water valve at the corner of Willson and Brewer. It is hoped this will alleviate rust in city water supplied to homes in the neighborhood.

— Replacement of a brick manhole cover that has deteriorated badly.

— Replacement of an Orangeburg sewer line and water main at 605 Brewer Street. Orangeburg sewers were made of coated cardboard and used during a shortage of cast iron in WW II.

— Adding 300 feet of concrete curb on the east side of Willson Aveue north of Brewer Creek bridge to maintain the condition of the road over the long-term.

— Asphalt paving has been added at Des Moines and Brewer streets to replace degraded concrete. The cost of the foregoing changes is $30,457.30 and will be paid for with LOST tax dollars.

Bahrenfuss said, “We plan to begin paving Brewer and Willson this Thursday, with completion planned for this Saturday.”

Fair Meadow Drive No. 2

Similarly, the street department found “additional needs that require adding to scope of work” on the Fair Meadow Dr. No. 2 project, including:

— Storm sewer replacement from Lisa Drive to Des Moines Street. The new sewer will be larger in size and add new intakes for improved performance.

— New sidewalk on the east side of Des Moines Street from Fair Meadow Drive to South Street. There previously was no sidewalk there.

— Widen sidewalk from four to five feet on the south side of Fair Meadow Drive. A total of 15 new temporary easements were required. Five-foot sidewalks are the minimum required to qualify for federal funding. Americans with Disabilities Act — ADA — recommendations stipulate 5-foot-wide walks to allow wheelchairs and walkers to pass without danger to users or the public.

— Additional sidewalk paving on the north side of Fair Meadow Drive from Superior Street to a point 360 feet east where no sidewalk previously existed.

— Resurfacing Buxton Drive on the east side from Bell Avenue to a point 1,200 feet east.

— Adding sump pump collector lines to new and existing sewer network on Fair Meadow Drive from Summit to Des Moines streets. Total cost of the changes is $25,700 and will be paid from proceeds of the 2025 general obligation bonds.

Bahrenfuss commented, “Contractors working on Fair Meadow Drive have added staff to their crew. With a bit of luck we could see paving finished here the week of November 10.”

In other matters, the Council approved a third reading of an ordinance creating a new stormwater utility. The measure now becomes law and monthly stormwater fees will be assessed. Rates are: $3 per month for single-family homes; $3 per unit for multi-family homes with separate utility meters and $10 a month plus $3 per unit for multi-family homes without separate meters; $10 a month for churches, schools, government and commercial buildings, and $20 per month for industries. Undeveloped farm land or vacant lots are exempt.

The new fees will be collected beginning January 1, 2026.