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Select Board directs staff to prepare bid documents for Hidden Springs logging, stump grinding and site prep
Summary
After months of planning, the board authorized staff to draft an RFP and solicit quotes to log and prepare the Hidden Springs site for a future public‑works facility, setting a 60‑day target for the procurement process.
The Alton Select Board authorized staff to prepare bid specifications and solicit quotes to log, stump‑grind and perform site preparation at the town‑owned Hidden Springs parcel, with a target of returning a recommendation to the board within 60 days.
Public works staff said the 57.57‑acre site contains a brook bisecting the lot and that protecting stream buffers and controlling erosion will require careful planning. Contractors responding to staff requests suggested integrated services — logging, stumping, tub grinding of stumps and erosion controls — were more efficient than separate subcontractors, but equipment such as tub grinders is specialized and costly.
Staff presented contractor estimates and noted an ARPA allocation and capital reserve balances to offset portions of the projected cost. Board members discussed procurement methods and emphasized that, given the size of the work, the town should solicit competitive bids or quotes so proposals could be compared on an apples‑to‑apples basis and insurance and bonding verified.
After discussion, the board directed staff to draft an RFP/quote package, advertise the procurement, and seek returned bids within a maximum 60‑day schedule so some logging work could proceed in the near term if a contractor is available. Board members said selective logging during firm ground conditions would reduce costs and that stump grinding and alteration‑of‑terrain permitting would follow regulatory approvals.
No final contract award was made; board members asked staff to return with bid results, complete cost estimates, and a financing recommendation before authorizing any contract.
