Oak Creek hired a contractor to start construction on repairs needed at Sheriff Reservoir, which serves as a primary water source for the town of 900 residents.

At its meeting Thursday, Feb. 23, the town board approved an agreement with Longmont-based Zak Dirt to carry out the first portions of the project, which include installation of a new head gate for the reservoir.

After previous bids for this work exceeded $425,000 — a cost too high for the town to cover, despite getting contributions from multiple sources — the agreement includes a guaranteed maximum price of about $369,000, according to Town Administrator David Torgler.

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The town had done two prior bidding processes that failed to turn up an affordable bid, before switching to construction manager/general contractor process that gets a guaranteed price. Routt County utilized this process on its new building in Steamboat Springs.

Torgler said the town also plans to fabricate part of the gate system itself rather than pay for one to be built, which amounts to a savings of nearly $30,000. Torgler said the work will likely start on the dam structure in August and the completion date in the contract is October 15.

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The dam needs more work though, with it no longer meeting spillway size regulations. While the town had thought that work could cost as much as $14 million, a recent analysis revealed the town could build a smaller spillway, saving millions on the project.

The agreement approved Thursday is just for the headgate installation, but the request for proposal document indicated the town would like a contractor for the spillway work in 2024 as well. Torgler said they have discussed terms to have Zak Dirt do that work as well.

To reach Dylan Anderson, call 970-871-4247 or email danderson@SteamboatPilot.com.