Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Whitefish council awards $874,314 viaduct improvement contract despite budget concerns; vote 3‑2
Summary
After extended debate about cost and scope, the council voted 3‑2 to award RAS Construction the viaduct improvement contract for $874,314.25. Councilors who opposed the award said the project exceeded the FY25 street fund budget; supporters cited pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The Whitefish City Council voted 3‑2 on March 17 to award the viaduct improvement construction contract to RAS Construction of Bellingham, Washington, for $874,314.25, a figure the city’s public works director said is 24–25% above the engineer’s estimate and about $250,000 above the city’s FY25 street fund line item.
Public Works Director Craig (last name not specified in the transcript) summarized the project and procurement history: the viaduct improvements are identified in the downtown master plan and the Connect Whitefish Bike and Pedestrian Plan to better link the north and south sides of the viaduct. The city rebid the project after work with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and BNSF to secure permissions; two bids were opened on Feb. 20. The engineer’s estimate was…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
