The city of Cortez has awarded a bid to Durango-based DAK Drilling and Well Service for a fiber-optic construction project set to begin this year.
The project will install two miles of fiber-optic line designed to improve internet connections for the new Osprey Packs headquarters, the new Southwest Memorial Hospital wing and the new combined Montezuma County courthouse, as well as the Cortez Police Department. Out of the five companies that bid, the Cortez City Council voted to hire DAK, the lowest bidder, at the recommendation of General Services Manager Rick Smith. The bid award was one of several information technology and construction-related items Cortez councilors voted on during a meeting last week.
“This project will provide a critical secondary path for city fiber from the Service Center into town,” he said in his presentation to the councilors.
Fiber-optic lines will be installed along County Road L, Mildred Road and Empire Street, ending in the Roger Smith Avenue area. The lines will allow the city to provide or improve “middle-mile” internet services for the new buildings in that area, helping them connect to the city’s existing fiber-optic network.
The council voted to pay DAK $154,873 for the work. Smith said the city has worked with the company before and found it to be reliable. After DAK, the least expensive bidder was Circle Zebra Fabricators, a national company with a location in Cortez, at a total of $200,053. The money will come from the city’s Community Network budget and a Department of Local Affairs grant.
According to DAK’s website, the company specializes in well drilling, but also offers cable services.
The council also awarded a bid for an engineering study on the Cortez Recreation Center’s heating and air conditioning systems to ME&E Engineering Inc., another Durango company. That bid was for a total of $15,940, which will pay for an inspection of the building’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system and recommendations for repairs. After the engineering study, the city may extend the company’s contract to pay for the HVAC repairs themselves.
“ME&E also did the assessment of the new City Hall, and I think we had a pretty positive experience with them,” Parks and Recreation Director Dean Palmquist said.
