WILTON – Attorneys for the town and its appraisal firm are negotiating the final payment for the recent property revaluation, selectmen announced Tuesday.

Selectmen met with town attorney Paul Bragg on Tuesday to discuss a threatened lawsuit by Tyler Technologies Inc. over the final payment but took no action, Chairman Paul Gooch said after an executive session.

“We’re not letting it go. The lawyers are negotiating. Basically, we’re an unhappy customer trying to make things right,” he said.

Earlier this month, Town Manager Peter Nielsen received a letter from Tyler attorney Daniel Nuzzi of Brann & Isaacson of Lewiston, requesting either full payment or arrangements for payment on the amount of $16,730 within 10 days. If no response was made by Feb. 18, Nuzzi stated in the letter he would file a lawsuit against the town to collect the money.

The board decided in January not to pay the final 10 percent retainer on the $167,000 contract with Cole-Layer-Trumble appraisal firm of Connecticut, which is owned by Tyler Technologies of Texas, until the abatement period is over.

Residents have until April to apply for abatements on their property valuation.

After hearing from residents that CLT did not get back to them, Nielsen undertook a study of the 637 records of review meetings between the firm and Wilton taxpayers. From his study, Nielsen found CLT’s property values compared well with actual sales in Wilton since May, but he also found simple errors, no follow through where reviewers wrote that changes would occur, unclear records, changes made without explanation and conflicting information, he said.

Nielsen estimated the cost to the town to correct the issues will be approximately $10,800.

Nielsen and Gooch met with the CLT project and regional managers in January and were told that the firm believed they had fulfilled their obligation and would expect full payment.

Litigation was possible, Gooch said in January, if the amount was not paid.

In other business, Fire Chief Sonny Dunham asked the board to waive the bid process for a new pumper tanker to be purchased with a $200,000 federal Department of Homeland Security grant, and $10,000 to be provided by the town. The department needs to spend the entire amount, he said, and wants to order a vehicle for an amount of $209,700.

Dunham told the board that the specs for the vehicle were created before they applied for the grant. Now, they have one year from the time the grant was awarded to obtain the vehicle. Once ordered, the vehicle could take four to eight months to be delivered, he said.

The department would like to purchase a tanker with a similar chassis to its Engine 1 from Emergency 1. Specs call for a 2,000-gallon tank and a 1250 pump. It’s a basic tanker/pumper, nothing fancy, he said.

The board questioned whether Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations required a bid process but voted unanimously to waive it and require the fire chief to obtain a written statement from FEMA that it would not require it.

Tim Hardy and Sylvia Yeaton from the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency met with the board to explain a new voluntary project. Yeaton is working to identify the most vulnerable population throughout the county who may need assistance during emergencies and disasters, she said. A data base and mapping are also being produced.

The agency has created a basic form to be completed and mailed to its office. These are being left in town offices and other agencies around the county. Information may be taken over the phone by calling 778-5894.