Litchfield Adds $31,900 to Lake Lou Yeager Campground Contract

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council on Aug. 6, 2026, unanimously approved a second change order with Stutz Excavating, Inc. adding up to $31,900 to the Lake Lou Yeager Campground Improvements project, after public works determined it lacks the equipment to perform grading work in-house. Even with the increase, the contract remains well below its original price.

Campground Change Order Key Points:

Change Order No. 2 adds $28,200 for grading and earthwork and $3,700 for additional tree removal.

The contract began at $849,717.90, was reduced by $202,374.20 under Change Order No. 1, and now stands at $679,243.70.

The completion date for all work is listed as July 18, 2027.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, approved a resolution authorizing a change order with Stutz Excavating, Inc. increasing the contract for the Lake Lou Yeager Campground Improvements project by an amount not to exceed $31,900.

Alderperson Robbin Huffman made the motion, seconded by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt. The vote was unanimous.

The change reverses part of a decision the council made at its previous meeting. According to the staff memo, a change order for what the city calls the bicentennial campground expansion was approved at the last council meeting to remove work from the contractor’s scope and perform it in-house. “A small part of that was for grading and earthwork,” the memo states. “Public Works has since determined that they do not have the proper equipment to perform this in-house. Additional tree removal was also found to be needed.”

The change order document, numbered 2 and dated Aug. 6, 2026, lists the justification as additional tree removal and earth excavation. It references an agreement date of Dec. 16, 2025.

The itemized breakdown attached to the change order lists two additions: grading and earthwork at $28,200 and additional tree removal at $3,700, totaling $31,900, with no deletions.

The contract history recorded on the same documents shows an original contract price of $849,717.90, a reduction of $202,374.20 under Change Order No. 1, and the $31,900 increase under Change Order No. 2, producing a net contract of $679,243.70. The memo notes that “the project remains under the initial bid amount” and that project funds are available.

The change order lists the date for completion of all work as July 18, 2027. No change to contract time is recorded on the form.

The resolution approving the change order recites three findings required for the city to accept it: that the circumstances necessitating the change were not reasonably foreseeable at the time the contract was signed, that the change is germane to the original contract as signed, and that the change is in the best interest of the city and authorized by law.

The item carried the recommendation of the city administrator, the public works coordinator, the street superintendent and the lake superintendent. No discussion was recorded before the roll call.