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Members of the Tidioute Area Health and Dental Center Board of Directors and committee members took a leap of faith Tuesday night and approved the lowest bid for their long awaited project.

In an unanimous vote, the group awarded the bid to C.B.F. Contractors, of Sligo, Pa., even without having all of the money for the project.

With a low bid of $598,338 added to approximately $100,000 in additional costs, the group is looking at a shortfall of about $115,000.

Prior to accepting the bid, the group discussed the funding situation and saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Board President Bob Schwab indicated that there were more businesses the group could approach for donations as well as other entities which would offer help in the future.

"I'm confident we can come up with the money," he said.

"I don't want to give the impression that we got the money," said board Vice President Cindy Paulmier, adding that proceeding with the project will show potential donors that the Tidioute Area Health and Dental Center is a reality of the future.

The group crunched numbers to see if the additional costs in the project could be brought down. Some of the additional costs they had planned for included: utility hook-ups, inspections, excavation and a contingency fund. Through the discussion it was discovered that some of the planned costs would be included in the project contract.

After debating the funding issues, the group was left to decide whether to take the plunge or forego the project until a later date.

"Personally, we have sat on this long enough," said board member Jack Shields.

Representatives of C.B.F. Contractors attended a later portion of the meeting and presented information about the company and fielded questions from the group.

Shields was concerned with the price the contracting company put on a metal roof, which was an alternative to the shingle roof in the original specifications. According to Shields, the metal roof was twice the cost of the shingle roof.

Considering the debate over roofing costs, Schwab asked Rodney Flick, President of C.B.F. Contractors, if the company could lower the cost.

"I thought it was aggressively priced, for a winter project," Flick said, adding that he failed to see where money could be saved.

Flick gave a timeline for the project and said his company could start on Dec. 14 and finish in the first week of May 2010. The schedule figures in three to four weeks in lost time due to winter weather.

In discussing whether or not to accept the bid, building committee member Ken Nicholson, who owns a building supply store, said costs are expected to go up in the lumber industry in the near future.