The Mancos Town Board approved several motions in its meeting Wednesday, including one to accept the updated cost estimate for the planned Main Street bridge replacement project and one for Town Administrator Heather Alvarez to execute a contract to begin work on the electric vehicle charging station in Boyle Park.
Russell Planning and Engineering updated the 2015 proposal for the bridge replacement after further analysis revealed that they would have to develop the bridge foundation instead of just purchasing pre-engineered arches to support the bridge. Despite the hefty price hike of $17,085 to make the total project estimate $88,565, the board passed the motion without discussion.
“It’s hard to argue since (the original proposal) was drafted in 2015,” Mayor Queenie Barz said.
“We’re going off a 3-yearold budget, and things always change even year to year,” Barz said.
Approval for Alvarez to accept the Charge Ahead grant for the electric vehicle charging station and get a contract for the project also went through without a hitch. The project must be completed by Nov. 30, a tight deadline, but the $9,000 grant brings the project down to $20,445.
Alvarez also briefed the board on the Paths to Mesa Verde project that will be underway soon.
The project is halfway through its 30 percent design phase, and the town and county will begin researching grant opportunities, she said. A public meeting on the project was held Tuesday night in Town Hall.
Before the meeting, the board discussed the outdated Parks Master Plan, which was adopted in 2002 and went through 2012.
Almost all projects outlined in the plan have either been completed or are in progress, Alvarez said. The only thing left is to put in a park on the north side of town.
Since so many large projects in Mancos are planned or ongoing, including Paths to Mesa Verde, replacing one of the water tanks and creating the electric vehicle charging station, the board seemed in agreement to hold off on creating an updated Parks Master Plan. Before they make any other action related to parks, the board wants to hear public opinion.
“Before any large projects, we should solicit community input first,” Alvarez said. She mentioned that since the master plan was set to go through 2012 and still has unfinished items, it’s clear that “it just takes time. We want to make sure we’re doing it right.”
