MARBLETON – The Marbleton Town Council approved an estimate at its meeting on Monday, April 10, from a Michigan company to demolish its unused water tower.

Town employee Todd Brown and Corky Stetson of Jorgensen Engineering told the council that the town could explore several options to deal with the old tower, which has ongoing problems and was not used at all last winter. It is the smallest of the town’s four towers and is located on Main Street.

“Todd asked us to look at that 75,000-gallon tank,” Stetson said; building a new one would cost around $200,000, according to his estimates.

They received two quotes to demolish it, both in the $40,000 to $45,000 range – with a company that specializes in water tower demolitions quoting $42,000 “from the ground up.”

“They have two other jobs in this area and they said they’d do it for $33,800 if that contract could be awarded by the end of this month,” Brown said. “The other option is to leave it. We ran without it all winter. That tank was never filled totally.”

Stetson said without that tank, Marbleton stores 650,000 gallons of water, which the council – Jeff McCormick, Roger McMannis, mayor Jim Robinson, Nick Taylor and Mack Bradley – determined was sufficient.

“If we accept the $33,800 by the end of the month, we don’t have to go out to bid,” Brown said, noting the quote falls under $35,000. “Or we could leave it; use it.”

Stetson said its concrete is chipped and peeling and Brown said if it was to be totally demolished and cleared away, that could be completed by July 15.

Taylor asked how old the structure was; Brown said he didn’t know but it was one of the town’s original water storage towers.

Bradley made the motion to accept the $33,800 quote and offer the contract to Isler Demolition, Inc., before the end of April to demolish the tower; Taylor seconded the motion and vote was unanimous, 5-0.

Also in Marbleton news:

• Big Piney employee Kara Losik asked the council to consider going halves on the cost to remove and rebuild the pathway between the two towns. Big Piney expects to get a county grant of $54,000, with another $54,000 coming due. Because it is a county-funded project, Losik said, it could be built to any width and depth perhaps starting this summer.

• The council approved a proclamation to make April “Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” provided by Mandy Moffat of SAFV.

• Town hall staff told consultant Sam Bixler they are interested in getting Internet service from NGL Connection, which plans to renew its two-year lease on June 30 for its tower equipment and could add two more connections. The town hall now uses CenturyLink. Bixler said he would look into it.

• Bixler also asked the council if it wants to go ahead and create a town website and if so, what was the priority – billing ability, customer support or price. “What’s right for the town,” he asked. Mayor Robinson said, “We always are sensitive to price – we’re cost-conscience, but we want a good product.” The topic will be discussed at a later budget meeting.

• The council’s first budget meeting will be on Tuesday, April 18, 6 p.m. at Marbleton Town Hall.