WEST PARIS – After not being able to find a paving company to do needed last-minute paving last week, further negotiations have finally reaped results and Commercial Paving of Scarborough has agreed to do the work before the paving season ends this month.
As explained last week by Town Manager Donald Woodbury and Road Commissioner Bill Keach, neither bidder, Commercial Paving or Pike Industries, was willing to commit to any more paving work in town, as the state insists that Oct. 15 be the last date for paving.
However, Woodbury made it clear that paving of 300 feet on Churchill Hill and 955 feet on Benson Hill has become imperative for this fall.
“Those roads need to be done this year,” Woodbury said. “They are in bad condition and we are getting complaints from residents that they need to be fixed before winter. I agree they need to be before the road crew has to start plowing because that work will be much more difficult and probably more costly.”
Selectmen Chairman Jim Johnston also spoke especially for the need on Churchill Hill. “I am sick and tired of having people call me about Churchill Hill to say Do you intend to fix that road or am I going to own this town after I have an accident because the town won’t fix it?’ We are liable if a road is in as bad shape as that one,” Johnston said.
At that point, the Woodbury and Keach were authorized to continue negotiations with the two bidders, and Commercial Paving finally agreed to work the job into its last-minute schedule.
According to Woodbury, however, Commercial Paving was the high bidder at $24,050, while Pike had bid the lower price of $16,485.
“We would have like to get a commitment from Pike, but they would not budge,” the manager said Monday. “As a result, we have no choice but to go with Commercial at the higher price.”
Woodbury said the town has plenty of money in its road maintenance account to cover the work.
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