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Selectboard awards town-hall boiler replacement to James & James after competitive bids
Summary
After reviewing two competitive bids for a high-efficiency propane boiler under a municipal energy grant, the Grafton Selectboard voted to award the contract to James & James Plumbing & Heating, citing price and the company's role as the town's current fuel supplier.
The Grafton Selectboard voted Aug. 3 to accept James & James Plumbing & Heating's bid to replace the town-hall boiler, selecting the roughly $34,000 proposal over a roughly $44,000 bid from DeCamp Plumbing & Heating.
Mike McConnell, a presenter on Zoom who reviewed the Municipal Energy Resilience Program bids, said the two proposals would install high-efficiency propane boilers and that James & James was the town's longtime fuel supplier. "So, yeah, we received 2 bids, for the boiler replacement," McConnell said. He recommended James & James because the lower price and the supplier relationship leave roughly $10,000 available for windows and ADA work covered by the grant: "So our recommendation would be to go with James Bid."
Chair Cathy moved to secure the James & James bid; after voice assent from board members the motion passed. McConnell told the board both bids required a 50% down payment and that the vendor work would include labor and materials. He also said the DeCamp bid showed a higher equipment cost and that some of the price difference reflects hardware choices: "The difference in the equipment is 5,000." The board agreed to have the contractor and staff coordinate scheduling once the vendor was contacted.
During public comment, Charles Bowman asked whether warranty or manufacturer differences explain the $10,000 gap between bids; the board said staff and McConnell would check equipment specifications and warranties before finalizing the contract. The board directed staff to record the award in the minutes and to follow up on scheduling and documentation.
