Alna selectmen talked contracts May 24, awarding one and moving closer on others. As a result, the town has a new contractor to cut grass; possibly the same plowing contractor for another three years; and a prospective firm for the town-wide revaluation voters approved in March.

The board gave Toby Stockford of Alna the one-year mowing contract at his bid price of $3,200. Fellow resident Brodie MacDearmid bid $2,775. In declining the lower offer, selectmen said MacDearmid did not supply an insurance certificate the bid specifications called for. Stockford did, selectmen said. They added, Stockford recently mowed for the town as a volunteer, when no one was under contract.

The board sought bids earlier this spring for a three-year deal and got one bid. Achorn & Sons, the last contractor, bid $4,500 for year one, up $1,800 from 2016. Selectmen went back out to bid for a single year and received the two new offers.

On plowing, the town’s contractor of the past three years, Hagar Enterprises of Damariscotta, was the lone bidder on the next three-year deal. For year one, the firm asked $197,971, the same as last year, selectmen said. The bid seeks $199,950 in year two and $201,950 in year three. In the proposal, the firm offers to discuss an unspecified cost break if the board waives a performance bond.

Selectmen planned to invite co-owner Seth Hagar to meet with them about the bid. “If we’re mutually agreeable, we can award the contract then,” Third Selectman Doug Baston, taking part via speaker on First Selectman David Abbott’s cell phone due to illness, said.

Baston also suggested exploring an arrangement with a neighbor town the firm also serves, Newcastle. If Newcastle is interested and if both towns would save money, maybe Hagar could plow the two as if they were one, Baston said. The towns would keep separate contracts with Hagar, he said. “I’m just throwing it out as an idea.”

Selectmen praised the firm’s work under the first contract.”You did a good job,” Second Selectman Melissa Spinney told Hagar representative Vaughan Stevens. The firm did about as well as anybody has, and better than some have, Abbott said.

The board also decided to meet with Alna’s assessing firm, John E. O’Donnell & Associates, about a possible deal for the revaluation. Abbott said the New Gloucester firm has previously estimated it would charge about $48,000.

The meeting was Liz Brown’s first since selectmen hired her as town clerk. She and the board discussed plans for her to attend training. The board meets next at 6 p.m. June 7 at the town office.