DAPHNE, Ala. — Change orders and landscaping for the renovated City Hall were among discussion points at Monday’s finance committee meeting.

Mayor Fred Small requested that a motion be brought to the city council to appropriate $50,000 for change orders on the new building. A total of $22,000 would be spent on a generator enclosure, an alternative stair foundation, breakers installation and flooring modifications; the remaining $28,000 will be used for construction needs as they arise.

The finance committee voted in favor of the motion, provided that the council receives reports for money spent.

Extra expenses are part of the process when constructing such a grand facility — City Hall’s face lift costs $7.5 million — but the city plans to keep additional expenditures at a minimum, Small said.

“We’ve argued a lot of it and the architect has argued a lot of it — so we’ve avoided most of them,” he said of unexpected building costs.

Landscaping bids for the building were surprisingly few, according to Ashley Campbell, site containment inspector.

City staff continue to research causes for the dull response; so far, several local nursery employees have said they only stock native plants, and many of the species on the landscape plan were from other regions, Campbell said.

Three of the requested species — including Chinese privet and wild taro — are invasive and would overtake native vegetation. This was recently brought to Campbell’s attention.

“We want to be as aware as we can as a city as far as environmental concerns. We’re going to look at some of the species selected and get some more native plants,” she said.

Another bid will be called for after the species list is changed.

Also Monday, Rod Cook Construction requested a 37-day contract extension on the City Hall project. Small recommended a 29-day extension and the finance committee voted in favor of sending the request to city council for approval.

In other business, Campbell briefed committee members on required permit changes from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.