Indio City Council Approves $830,000 Change Order Amid Discussions to Improve Utility Coordination
A misalignment in planning and field conditions between The Lights at Indio project developers and Imperial Irrigation District (IID) will push the opening of the city’s new golf course clubhouse to January 2026, months past the original spring 2025 target and into part of peak season.
The Indio City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a change order of up to $830,000 for additional offsite electrical work along Avenue 42 and Jackson Street to resolve unforeseen issues with conduit locations that clashed with the project’s approved plans.
The affected area also includes high-profile businesses like Dutch Bros and Chick-fil-A, which depend on the same electrical infrastructure to open.
City staff and IID officials described the issue as resulting from field conditions that differed from the early engineering plans, leading to rerouting and reconstruction after conduits had already been installed and encased. According to IID representatives, the electrical vaults were placed using the “best available knowledge” when the district first reviewed the developer’s AutoCAD drawings.
Once construction began, however, it became clear that what was on paper didn’t match what was underground.
“This isn’t just about moving equipment around,” said Mayor Glenn Miller. “We’re talking about businesses that have invested millions and are now left waiting, and potentially losing a lot of key revenue during prime season.”
A shared responsibility, depending on who is asked
While early reports suggested the error stemmed from IID, officials stated during the meeting that the problem arose as both parties made adjustments during the build-out phase. According to IID, the developer had altered their building layout around existing electrical structures, triggering the need to relocate vaults and conduits – work that wasn’t part of the original contract with general contractor GCX LLC.
As a result, large-scale field adjustments had to be made, including trenching, concrete restoration, remobilization, and rerouting into the street, all of which added up to the $830,000 now being absorbed by the city within the project’s existing budget.
“It’s important to emphasize this wasn’t a single-sided oversight,” said Antonio Ortega, IID’s government affairs officer. “We’re already working with city staff to ensure stronger alignment going forward, not just for this project, but others in the pipeline.”
IID has committed to hosting joint “all-hands” meetings with the city and development teams to coordinate timelines better and avoid surprises during future infrastructure work.
Calls for better planning and earlier detection of challenges
Councilmember Oscar Ortiz raised concerns about when and how these changes are communicated to both the city and the businesses involved.
“These businesses commit major funding before ever hearing about added costs like this,” Ortiz said. “We need to ensure these changes are identified earlier in the process. Getting hit mid-construction is detrimental – not just for them, but for the city’s reputation as a place to invest.”
IID’s Superintendent of Distribution System Planning, Guillermo Barraza, explained that their standard process includes a preliminary plan review and feedback from developers. However, in this case, changes occurred later in the process due to shifts in project scope and field conditions that were not apparent during the initial surveys.
“The earlier in the process we can finalize these decisions, the better,” Barraza said. “Our goal is to identify potential conflicts before a shovel hits the ground.”
Economic stakes
The delays have financial consequences not only for the city but for the businesses planning to open in tandem with the clubhouse.
“We’re talking about real jobs, real revenue, and real expectations from the community,” said Mayor Miller. “If we don’t give businesses the confidence that our infrastructure is reliable and predictable, they’ll think twice before choosing Indio.”
Despite the disruption, Miller acknowledged the effort underway to course-correct: “There’s a strong partnership here. This isn’t about finger-pointing – it’s about getting better, fast.”
Looking ahead
The Lights at Indio clubhouse began construction in August 2024. Once complete, it will feature over 4,500 square feet of amenities, including a full commercial kitchen, dining area, bar and lounge, pro shop, event space, and an outdoor patio overlooking the golf course.
City officials are now targeting January 2026 as the new opening date for the clubhouse and say they are determined to ensure that the costly lessons from this project lead to a smoother process in the future.
“This delay is unfortunate, but if it results in better coordination across all upcoming projects, that’s a win we can build on,” said Councilmember Ortiz.
