After a month of discussion, The Dalles City Council has amended its Local Contract Review Board rules to clarify the City Manager’s authority to approve change orders on public improvement contracts exceeding $100,000.
City Attorney Jonathan Kara told Council members that, following discussions with Councilor Ben Wring, they settled on a cumulative limit of 20 percent of the original contract amount or $500,000, whichever is lower.
A previously proposed requirement for formal Council notification once change orders reached 15 percent of the contract amount was removed from the final language.
Kara said the revised approach meets the goals of the proposed changes while maintaining appropriate oversight.
He also noted that the Council retains the ability to impose additional restrictions on individual projects when circumstances warrant.