The completion certificate supplies the missing price history
Kern County awarded Contract 26001 to Griffith Company on January 27, 2026 for rehabilitation of Columbus Street between Loma Linda Drive and Berkeley Street in Bakersfield. The certificate lists an original bid of $2,440,290.64 and a final contract value of $2,394,568.75.
Subtracting the final value from the bid yields $45,721.89. That is 1.87% below the original bid, a modest favorable variance rather than an overrun.
| Measure | Official record |
|---|---|
| Original bid | $2,440,290.64 |
| Final contract value | $2,394,568.75 |
| Difference | −$45,721.89 |
| Variance | −1.87% |
| Construction period | May 13–September 4, 2026 |
“Fiscal impact: None” describes the filing action, not the project
The October 27 agenda labels the Notice of Completion item as having no fiscal impact. The attached certificate nevertheless documents a project worth almost $2.4 million.
Those statements are not necessarily contradictory: receiving and filing a completion notice may create no new appropriation. But the summary should make clear that “None” refers to the present clerical action, not the historical cost of the road work.
The certificate records dates but not the cause of the variance
The county’s form says construction began May 13, substantial work ended September 4 and the public works director certified completion October 14. It does not itemize change orders, quantities, deductions or the reason the final value came in below the bid.
A closeout ledger would let residents distinguish unused contingencies, quantity adjustments and negotiated changes. The favorable bottom line alone does not measure pavement quality or whether the project met every scope requirement.
Method and limits
The newsroom transcribed the bid and final value from the signed completion certificate, subtracted the two and divided the difference by the bid. Percentages are rounded to two decimals.
This analysis does not allege defective work, omitted scope or improper payment. It identifies a favorable price variance and the closeout detail the two-page public filing does not supply.
Sources and further reading
Kern County Contract 26001 Notice of Completion ↗