The Cortez City Council approved a bid on Tuesday for the construction of new restrooms at Centennial Park, to replace the current 30-year-old building.
Parks and Recreation Director Dean Palmquist asked the council to approve a construction bid to Weeminuche Construction Authority, based in Towaoc, for the project. The new restroom building will use the same model as the one in Parque de Vida, including more modern lighting and upgraded outdoor electric outlets, and it will be about 50 feet closer to the playground. The construction bid, at $199,999, exceeded the budget by more than $25,000, but Palmquist said he would cut from other projects if necessary. The city also has approved pickleball courts for the park.
“This is one of the highest priorities for our capital projects, and if we have to sacrifice on another capital project, I would still put this one as one of the highest ones to get completed,” Palmquist said.
Weeminuche was the second-lowest bidder. Daniel’s Concrete and Excavation, which is based in Mancos, offered a $199,631 bid, but Palmquist said he disqualified Daniel’s based on its lack of experience with commercial projects. Weeminuche built the Conquistador Golf Course maintenance building in 2012 and worked on the Cortez City Hall remodel.
Palmquist said he planned to make up the extra cost of the bid with savings from another bid the council approved on Tuesday, for the purchase of infield mix for the South Softball Complex and Rotary Park ballfields, which went more than $10,000 under budget at $39,877.15. If necessary, he said, he would take money out of the Parque de Vida lighting project fund and the parks maintenance division budget.
Members of the council questioned Palmquist about the restroom floorplan he submitted, which calls for amenities like a sidewalk surrounding the building, a drinking fountain, six tubes to let in natural light and accessible facilities. Mayor Pro Tem Ty Keel asked if there were security measures to protect against vandals, such as extra lighting.
“With a $200,000 investment in a restroom, I would definitely like to see it last a long time,” he said.
Palmquist said the restroom’s lighting will benefit by its proximity to the playground.
Some council members also had questions about how the Parque de Vida lighting project would be affected by Palmquist’s proposed $13,000 budget cut. He told them staff have replaced lights with LEDs, which he said have improved the park’s lighting and could reduce maintenance costs. The installation of lights on the south side of the park are in jeopardy.
Mayor Karen Sheek said she believed finishing the restroom project would be worth it.
“If we say, ‘Let’s wait until next year,’ it’s just going to get more expensive,” she said. “My thought would be, if we’ve got the funds to do it, I’d like for us to go ahead and take care of it.”
The council voted unanimously to approve the bid. Palmquist hopes to finish the new restrooms by late summer.
