Development of the Webster County Conservation Nature Center is back on track after the Webster County Board of Supervisors approved a $6.7 million construction contract on Tuesday.

Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, was the winning bidder for the project for $6,700,000.

Three other bids were received — $7,332,000 from Woodruff Construction, of Fort Dodge; $7,710,000 from Kolacia Construction, of Fort Dodge; and $7,892,708 from Sande Construction and Supply Co. Inc., of Humboldt.

The nature center project includes a 13,000-square-foot nature center building featuring exhibit space, classrooms and administrative offices for Webster County Conservation. Outside, it will have a natural playscape, fishing overlooks to the Des Moines River, an outdoor classroom, river access and other amenities being coordinated with the city of Fort Dodge’s Riverfront Park project where Central Avenue meets the Des Moines River.

The nature center will be called River’s Edge Discovery Center.

The nature center project first went out for bids this spring, but the county received just two bids and both were significantly over the original estimate for the project.

According to Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove, the engineer’s original estimate for the nature center project was given in December of last year for $5.5 million.

In the first bid letting, Jensen submitted a bid for $8,195,000, and Kolacia submitted a bid for $6,990,000. On recommendation from Cosgrove, the Board of Supervisors voted in June to reject the bids and have the project reexamined for spots where costs can be saved and have it sent out for re-bidding.

Construction on the nature center is expected to begin in October and be completed in June 2024.

In other business, the supervisors approved an agreement with Southeast Valley Community School District for a school resource officer program through the Webster County Sheriff’s Office. Under the agreement, one deputy in the sheriff’s office will be assigned to serve as an SRO and that deputy will spend approximately five hours each week in the Southeast Valley schools. The school district will pay the Sheriff’s Office $30 per hour for the service.