Estes Park approves $3.55 million contract to build final Fall River Trail segment

The Estes Park Town Board approved a $3,553,992.20 contract with FNF Construction, Inc., to build the final segment of the Fall River Trail. The board also approved a $114,500 contract with Empire Management, Inc., for construction management and inspection.

The construction contract came off the consent agenda for separate discussion because of its size and because it had been on the agenda for some time, a board member said. The member asked what due diligence had been done to verify that FNF was qualified and had a good reputation for completing work on time and effectively. "What sort of due diligence have we done on them on this project to verify that they're qualified and have a good reputation for getting things done in a timely and effective manner?" the member said.

A staff member said each bidder had to provide information about its subcontractors, the other contractors on its team and their work, and its experience and history on similar projects. FNF gave an adequate response that included projects of similar scope and scale in the valley, the staff member said. FNF is an Arizona company with a Littleton office, the staff member said, and has done projects down valley in Colorado. Asked whether the information satisfied staff, the staff member answered, "Yes, I am."

The board member noted that the request for proposals drew 11 responses, with half below budget and half above, a wide range. The member described the bids as running from $3.5 million to what the member estimated was $5.7 million, and asked whether such a spread was typical. The staff member said that in the last four years, projects like this typically drew no more than one to maybe three bids. The estimate was built on bid costs from the previous phase, which received one bid in 2024 that was $1 million over the budget at the time. The estimate began as a very conservative one, the staff member said, and the bids suggest it was reasonable.

Trustee Chris Eshelman asked whether staff typically go back to contractors when bids are about 10% apart, and whether they had done so here. "I know in the past if bids have been over or a separation of 10%, that sometimes we'll actually go back to the contractor," he said, adding that he had seen it done. The staff member said there were 10 bids, roughly half in the lower range and half in the higher range. Staff analyzed unit costs across every item, including differences in concrete and retaining-wall costs, and found no concerns or alarming items, the staff member said.