Mitchell Hollow Trail: a $15,000 engineering increase, a $282,516 payment and a pending change order

Highland's City Council voted 5–0 on Sept. 1, 2026 to approve a contract modification with Consor for additional construction engineering and inspection on the Mitchell Hollow Trail "in the amount up to $15,000," according to the approved minutes. ^[1]

The minutes say Consor, which designed the trail, was retained for construction management at $25,000 and had reached that ceiling. Staff said the added amount falls within the project's overall contingency. ^[1]

The project's funding

Assistant Public Works Director Jeff Murdoch said total project funding is approximately $2.5 million, with Highland's match at approximately $171,081, or 6.77%, and a remaining contingency of over $372,000, according to the minutes. ^[1]

The minutes also say staff had negotiated a contractor change order request down from approximately $200,000 to roughly half that amount. ^[1]

Payments and the October agenda

The city's large-purchase register for September 2026 lists a Sept. 22 payment of $282,515.75 to VanCon for the Mitchell Hollow Trail. The register is on the consent agenda for the council's Oct. 20 meeting, under ratification of large purchases. ^[2][4]

The council's Oct. 6, 2026 agenda listed a Mitchell Hollow change order as an action item, and a property swap and a land acquisition for the trail as expedited items. The Ledger could not open the Oct. 6 packet, and the Oct. 20 packet does not include minutes of the Oct. 6 meeting. ^[3][2]