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Every dollar in the latest addition is security work
Kern’s original Camp Condor water-system contract was $1,067,100. Change Order 1 deducted $20,636.24, Change Order 2 changed no dollars, and proposed Change Order 3 adds $92,775.21, producing a new contract amount of $1,139,238.97.
The net change from the original is $72,138.97, or 6.76%. The latest addition is entirely security: $56,487.20 for a fence and $36,288.01 for enhanced panels, a double gate, barbed wire and razor wire.
| Action | Dollar change | Workdays added |
|---|---|---|
| Original contract | $1,067,100.00 | — |
| Change Order 1 | −$20,636.24 | 62 |
| Change Order 2 | $0 | 58 |
| Change Order 3 | +$92,775.21 | 182 |
| Revised contract | $1,139,238.97 | 302 total added |
The time change is larger than the price change
Change Order 3 adds 182 workdays. Together, the three changes add 302 workdays. The packet moves completion from June 3, 2025 to August 17, 2026—more than fourteen months later on the calendar.
The county attributes the schedule movement to coordinating multiple subcontractors, a state Department of Water Resources visit, punch-list work and final inspection. The record does not assign fault or liquidated damages.
A necessary control can still deserve a clear baseline
Fencing a water facility can protect public infrastructure, and the packet does not characterize the additions as optional. The accountability question is why the final security configuration was not fully priced in the base contract and why it required the largest schedule extension.
The posted materials provide no security assessment, bid comparison for the added work or estimate of avoided risk. They establish the cost and delay, not whether the selected design was the least expensive suitable option.
Method and limits
This newsroom reconciled all three change orders, recomputed the net increase and grouped the two Change Order 3 line items by their stated security purpose. Workdays are contract days, not a direct count of calendar days.
The analysis does not allege waste, defective construction or unnecessary security. Those conclusions would require engineering records, procurement comparisons and inspection results not in the packet.
Sources and further reading
Kern Camp Condor Water System Change Order 3 packet, October 27, 2026 ↗
NPS water-reservoir fence photograph and public-domain record ↗