OTTUMWA — Three change orders plus a lackluster 10-year financial plan add up to one thing for the solid waste commission: Change the engineer.

The Ottumwa/Wapello County Solid Waste Commission approved the change orders Wednesday and requested SWC Director Jody Gates invite Tim Buelow of Barker-Lemar Engineering Consultants to the next meeting.

Gates said Buelow was SWC’s primary engineer until a couple of years ago after Buelow “moved up” in the firm. Brian Rath replaced him.

“We’re less than satisfied with Brian,” Gates told the commission.

The change orders totaled $135,546.07 and related to finishing the north cell abutment and closing the south cell at the Ottumwa/Wapello County Landfill.

The first change order was for $18,572.49. Steger Construction of Dyersville had to remove more solid waste from the north cell than originally planned in order to install the abutment liner.

Gates said Rath based the estimate on what he thought was still in the cell. However, an updated Global Positioning System (GPS) topographic survey showed the quantity of solid waste was 6,214 cubic yards more than Rath indicated.

And, Rath said sand would stay on the abutment but it slid down instead, according to Gates. The landfill switched to tire shreds, “which are more practical,” she added.

Rath projected the landfill staff could cover the excavated garbage but Gates said “the staff had enough to do” and requested Steger handle it.

Steger’s also agreed “to put a final cover on the south cell, thereby closing it using a soil cap prior to the implementation of new Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules.” This saved the commission some money.

But, the closure alone still cost $103,110.03, which will come out of the landfill’s closure fund, according to Gates’ resolution.

Revised quantities were part of the third change order. In addition, Steger had to remove more solid waste to expose and clean the south edge of the flexible membrane liner (FML) in the north cell so the FML at the base of the north cell abutment could be sealed directly to it.

Commissioner Jerry Parker wasn’t happy about all the revisions and miscalculations.

“Someone should know these things. We pay Barker-Lemar a lot of money and we never heard about this until it blew up,” he said.

Parker also mentioned the 10-year financial plan that Barker-Lemar prepared for the landfill earlier this year.