Some Fargo-area contractors feel slighted

FARGO (AP) — Some Fargo-area contractors feel slighted after a $3 million contact to dismantle dikes in the city went to a Minnesota company.

The Army Corps of Engineers awarded the contract to the Davidson company of Holt, Minn. Kevin Davidson says his company got the contract through a competitive bid process.

“You put your bid in and wait and see what happens,” Davidson told Fargo’s KFGO radio. “Monday at noon, I bid on it and found out Tuesday at 4 p.m.”

Bob Schmidt said his Kindred company ran crews nonstop when the levees went up. He said local contractors had little time to prepare bids for taking them down.

“We had a lot of equipment damage,” Schmidt said. “It was a real struggle, with the water, with the mud and the rain — a lot of wrecked equipment, and they (local contractors) all pitched in to help.”

The cleanup is expected to take about three weeks.

Tags: news, fargo, contractors, dikes