The Fort Dodge City Council on Monday hired Rasch Construction Inc., of Fort Dodge, to do the work at a cost of $3,444,145.

The work will produce deeper, larger sanitary sewers; new water mains; and new storm sewers. The street surfaces will be rebuilt with concrete.

Placing the sanitary sewers deeper underground will help to reduce the risk of sewage backups into homes, City Engineer Tony Trotter explained previously.

The project will start near the intersection of Seventh Avenue North and 16th Street and zigzag through the neighborhood, ending near Fourth Avenue North and 20th Street. All work is to be done by October 2021.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The streets around Duncombe Elementary School, including Sixth Avenue North seen here, will be the site of a major infrastructure project as a result of a contract awarded Monday by the Fort Dodge City Council.

The council voted unanimously with no discussion to award the contract.

Crow River Construction, of New London, Minnesota, submitted the only other bid of $3,869,848.

Also on Monday, the council bought a house at 316 N. Eighth St. from Graceiela Blanco and Mario Fernando Azua for $45,000.

The two-story house, which is divided into upstairs and downstairs apartments, will be demolished to make way for future residential development. It is in an area city officials have designated for redevelopment. The city has already purchased and demolished all the houses on the east side of the 300 block of North Eighth Street.

In an unrelated matter, the council bought two Mack truck cab chassis from Rees Truck & Trailer, of Fort Dodge, for $226,766.54. Those chassis will be the basis for two new dump trucks for the Public Works Department.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
This section of Sixth Avenue North between 16th and 17th streets will be one of the locations where a major infrastructure project, including new sanitary sewers, storm sewers and water mains will be installed.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Monday’s council meeting was held electronically.