craigdailypress.com

Craig — Colorado Northwestern Community College is preparing to pay upcoming costs associated with building a new college campus west of Craig.

At their monthly meeting Monday night, CNCC Board of Control members approved a $900,000 transfer from its campus expansion account to meet that end.

Currently, the college owes about $210,00 for future services to Diversified Consulting Solutions. The initial bill totaled $410,432, said Gene Bilodeau, CNCC Craig campus dean.

However, the college already has paid about $200,000 of that sum, said Missy Bonaker, Board of Control accountant.

Remaining payment will cover services the Westminster-based company will provide in coming months in helping the college develop its new campus.

The college also will pay for the extension of Ninth Street to the end of its 100-acre parcel in west Craig, which is slated to be the future site of a new CNCC Craig campus and a new The Memorial Hospital facility.

The city mandated the extension. As the property's owner, the college is responsible for extending the street, community development director Dave Costa said previously.

Twin Peaks Utilities and Infrastructure will complete the work under its $2.7 million contract with the hospital.

The college will give the hospital funds to pay for the extension, which will cost $691,678. The college will pay the hospital for the extension using money withdrawn from its COLOTRUST account, a pooled investment fund used by local governments.

The hospital contracted Twin Peaks to construct roads and other infrastructure on the college's 100-acre parcel.

Once finished, the road will belong to the city, City Manager Jim Ferree said.

College officials chose not to rebid the extension, deciding instead to save costs by continuing with Twin Peaks, Bilodeau said.

Twin Peaks "was by far the most cost-effective" firm to bid on the initial infrastructure installments, Bilodeau said.

He added that state law doesn't require the college to rebid the project to another firm.

The college will give the hospital funds for the extension in three monthly installments. The first billing, which is expected to arrive this month, will cost about $137,000.

In June, the college will pay the second installment, which will total about $368,000, Bilodeau said, adding that a third payment of $186,000 is scheduled for July.

College officials will move $900,000 from its COLOTRUST fund to a local financial institution to make payments on the extension, Bonaker said.

The move will allow the college to withdraw funds faster, said Karol Bullen, Board of Control treasurer.

The college has made an agreement with the hospital to provide payment within five days of being billed by Twin Peaks, Bullen said.