Town gets single chip-seal bid for Main Street; council to advertise smaller local bids and document outreach

Council members heard a report that only one contractor responded to a chip-seal solicitation covering Main Street east to the highway and that the quoted scope would exceed current-year funds. A town representative suggested placing the project in next year's capital budget to pursue funding.

Separately, a local low bid (about $11,280) from a firm associated with Dutson was presented for a fire-access road repair. The person making the offer said they work for Dutson and would donate labor while Dutson would bill materials and equipment. Council members raised a potential conflict of interest and directed staff to advertise the procurement (10-day posting), document outreach and rejections, and then consider accepting the single bid at a subsequent meeting if no other responsive bids are received.

Officials described prior attempts to solicit contractors, explained that TransWest/TransSource Power provided funds or bid support on earlier projects, and emphasized that local contractors are often unwilling to travel for small projects, which constrains competition. The council asked Kara (clerk) to post the RFB and to ensure formal documentation of outreach and any rejections so the record will support accepting a single responsive bid if necessary.