The Junction City Commission voted 3–2 to award a $483,830 contract to J and K Contracting LLC to relocate water and sewer utilities on McFarland Road before construction of a planned roundabout.

City staff said the work will replace a section of 6-inch water main and an 8-inch sanitary sewer main that currently run under the intersection planned for the roundabout. “Both the water and sewer lines broke, and we want to make sure we’re being proactive,” a city engineer said during the presentation, adding that the utility relocation is needed to avoid future repairs inside the roundabout footprint.

Why the vote drew concern

Several commissioners said the half‑million‑dollar relocation cost should have been disclosed before the commission approved the roundabout, because it increases the project’s total local share. One commissioner said the city had known about potential utility work “for a long time” and that the estimate “might have influenced the vote on the roundabout.” The city manager and staff responded that the scope and cost could not be known until crews opened the site and confirmed conditions.

What the commission approved

- The commission approved awarding the relocation contract to J and K Contracting LLC for $483,830. Three qualified bids were reported: J and K at $483,830; Smokey Hill LLC at $550,522; and Lunic Prime LLC at $555,557. The engineer’s estimate was $682,667.

- Staff said funding will come from the city’s water and sewer funds.

- Commissioners asked staff to improve communication about major change orders and to brief the commission earlier in project planning; city staff said they are limited by staffing and process and that some steps must be completed before firm bids and estimates are available.

Vote and next steps

The motion to award the contract passed 3–2. Commissioners recorded concerns about transparency and whether the full cost of the roundabout had been apparent to the public when the earlier vote occurred. Staff said they will proceed with contract execution and move forward with utility relocation work.