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Craig fire board hosts training tower special meeting Sunday

Fire board awards construction contract to local bidder

Joe Moylan

The Craig Rural Fire Protection District Board hosted a special meeting Sunday to discuss the next phase of its live fire training tower project.

After opening the meeting at 5 p.m., the board moved into executive session with its consultant for the project Todd Ficken, of Niwot-based F&D International LLC, an architectural and engineering firm.

Ficken attended the meeting to present the construction bids he received for the project.



After about 60 minutes behind closed doors, the fire board voted, 4-0, to award the construction contract to local business Anson Excavating & Pipe Inc.

Board member Tony Maneotis was absent from Sunday’s meeting.



Anson Excavating was among four businesses vying for the project that included two Steamboat Springs companies and a construction firm out of Denver.

Anson bid the project at $693,636 and was not the lowest bidder.

But fire board secretary/treasurer Chris Nichols said the board thought it was important to award the project to a local company as it has promised throughout the training tower process thus far.

And Anson Excavating wasn’t that far off, said fire board President Byron Willems, and was within 3 percent of the low bidder.

The low bidder and the two other companies were not identified during the meeting.

Construction on the fire tower is expected to begin immediately, Ficken said, after a ceremonial ground breaking that still is to be announced.

The bulk of the tower should be done by Christmas, Willems said, with total completion of the site plan scheduled for the spring thaw.

Joe Moylan can be reached at 875-1794 or jmoylan@craigdailypress.com.


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