Buckfield select board opens bids for Brock School and Harris Hill roads; award delayed to next meeting

The Buckfield Select Board on June 25 opened competitive bids for paving work on Brock School Road and Harris Hill Road and agreed to read the proposals aloud and review them for compliance before awarding a contract at the next meeting.

Town staff handed each board member a bid sheet and read company names and dollar amounts into the record. The board recorded four bidders for each road: Spencer Group Aving LLC ($206,713.10 for Brock School Road; $223,883.40 for Ferris Hill Road), Gendron Corporation ($270,000 for Brock School Road; $295,000 for Harris Hill Road), Pike Industry ($199,151.25 for Brock School Road; $220,166.25 for Harris Hill Road), and Northeast Paving ($224,930 for Brock School Road; $235,090 for Harris Hill Road). Select Board members said they would circulate the numbers by email and review the proposals for submission requirements before making a selection.

Azalea Cormier, the town manager, said staff will scan the bid documents and share a spreadsheet of amounts with the board for review; staff member Cameron told the board, “I’ll scan everything and send it off to you guys so you have the week to look at it as well.” The board voted to move the bid item to the beginning of the agenda so bidders present could leave after the opening.

No contract award was made on June 25. The board directed staff to check that each submission met the town’s bid requirements and to provide the board with an itemized comparison; members said they will vote on an award at the next Select Board meeting.