The County Commission approved a conditional change order to allow up to $50,500 for tie beams on the livestock-building project if the structural engineer requires them, enabling the contractor to proceed without waiting for the next meeting. The allowance was described in the contractor’s bid as an alternate that may be required once the structural engineer designs the column foundations.

Commissioner Neil moved to approve the contingency and a colleague seconded the motion. During discussion, staff said the contractor bid the tie-beam alternate at $50,500 and that the structural engineer’s determination will dictate whether the allowance is used. Commissioners asked about caps and how any added cost would affect the project total. Staff cautioned that the meeting’s spoken estimates of the overall project total if the allowance is used were unclear in the record; the commission recorded that the tie-beam allowance would increase the project bid if triggered by the engineer’s design.

A roll-call vote approved the conditional allowance, with commissioners voting in favor. The commission directed staff to proceed only if the structural engineer requires the tie beams and to report back on final costs once the engineer’s recommendations are received.