Columbus considers $500,000 road inspection contract expansion
A proposed modification with True Inspection Services doubles authorized spending to $1 million for city and private construction oversight.
Columbus City Council advanced legislation on Monday, Nov. 2, to expand municipal roadway inspection services, scheduling a final vote for Monday, Nov. 16.
The ordinance authorizes a $500,000 contract modification with True Inspection Services, LLC for the city's roadway materials testing and inspection project. City records assign consent agenda status to the measure.
Under the measure, the city is exercising the first of two possible one-year extension periods for the agreement. City records note that the contract can also be used for non-city projects for which Columbus provides construction inspection services and materials testing.
The modification doubles total authorized spending on the 2025 roadway inspection contract from $500,000 to $1 million. The legislation authorizes expenditures of $422,000 from the Construction Inspection Fund and $78,000 from the Private Construction Inspection Fund to pay for the contract.
According to the Department of Public Service, modifying the existing contract rather than rebidding the work was deemed more cost efficient than bidding this part of the project. Department officials stated that the modification is necessary to allow construction to continue on projects currently being built and for construction to start on "recently awarded projects."
City filings state that the cost of the modification remains consistent with the labor and overhead rates established within the original contract.
The agreement gives the department continuing contractual access to inspection expertise and material testing for municipal construction projects. True Inspection Services is located in the 4200 block of Regent Street in Columbus.
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Supporting evidence (11)
The ordinance authorizes a $500,000 contract modification with True Inspection Services, LLC for the city's roadway materials testing and inspection project.
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To authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract modification with True Inspection Services, LLC for the Roadway - Materials Testing and Inspection 2025-1 project; and to authorize the expenditure of up to $500,000.00 from the Private Construction Inspection Fund and the Construction Inspection Fund to pay for the contract. ($500,000.00)
City records assign consent agenda status to the measure.
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Under the measure, the city is exercising the first of two possible one-year extension periods for the agreement.
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This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract modification for the first of two possible periods of one year and to add funds to pay for services in the amount of $500,000.00.
City records note that the contract can also be used for non-city projects for which Columbus provides construction inspection services and materials testing.
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This contract could also be used for non-City projects for which the City is providing construction inspection services and materials testing.
The modification doubles total authorized spending on the 2025 roadway inspection contract from $500,000 to $1 million.
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The original contract amount: $500,000.00 (PO506081, Ord. 0835-2025) The total of Modification No. 1: $500,000.00 (This Ordinance, Ord. 2902-2026) The contract amount including all modifications: $1,000,000.00
The legislation authorizes expenditures of $422,000 from the Construction Inspection Fund and $78,000 from the Private Construction Inspection Fund to pay for the contract.
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SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $78,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2241 (Private Construction Inspection Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance. SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $422,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 5518 (Construction Inspection Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
According to the Department of Public Service, modifying the existing contract rather than rebidding the work was deemed more cost efficient than bidding this part of the project.
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It was deemed to be more cost efficient to modify the existing contract than to bid this part of the work.
Department officials stated that the modification is necessary to allow construction to continue on projects currently being built and for construction to start on "recently awarded projects."
Read supporting passage
This modification is necessary to allow construction to continue on projects currently being built and for construction to start on recently awarded projects.
City filings state that the cost of the modification remains consistent with the labor and overhead rates established within the original contract.
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The cost of this contract modification is consistent with the direct labor, overhead, and profit rates established within the original proposal/contract.
The agreement gives the department continuing contractual access to inspection expertise and material testing for municipal construction projects.
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The intent of this contract is to provide the Department of Public Service with continuing, contractual access to additional resources that are necessary to provide inspection expertise and material testing for the department’s construction projects.
True Inspection Services is located in the 4200 block of Regent Street in Columbus.
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SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to execute a contract modification for the Roadway - Materials Testing and Inspection 2025-1 contract with True Inspection Services, LLC, of 4200 Regent Street, Suite 200, Columbus OH 43219, to add funds in an amount up to $500,000.00