WILTON — Three selectmen at a 7:30 a.m. meeting Tuesday unanimously chose to contract with John E. O’Donnell and Associates Inc. from New Gloucester for the town’s assessing needs this year.

After reviewing two bids and conducting lengthy interviews with the bidders, O’Donnell and current Assessor James Jurdak, an interview committee recommended the change.

Beginning July 1, Paul Binette of the O’Donnell company will hold regular assessor’s hours at the Town Office. Other work will involve a team effort from the company.

Local towns including Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls, Weld and Dixfield, among several other Maine towns, use this company, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said Wednesday.

The O’Donnell bid at $28,000 for the one-year contract was slightly lower than Jurdak’s bid of $28,350.

Selectman Scott Taylor, who served on the interview committee, said he found the company to be very professional and he liked the team approach, especially in light of the town’s golf course issue.

O’Donnell does assessment work on several golf courses around the state, Taylor said.

The owners of Harris Golf Course on the Weld Road have questioned their assessment, but before a review can take place they must pay some of their taxes, Irish said. No taxes have been paid for 2009 or 2010 or since they’ve owned the course, she said.

In other business Tuesday:

* Selectmen accepted a bid from Kyes Insurance for $29,000 to cover the town’s insurance for the coming year. It’s the same insurance the town has now but proposal bids were sent out this year because the bidding process had not been done for five years, Irish said.

The Kyes quote came in lower than last year’s insurance cost and lower than the estimate it gave at the time the town budget was prepared, she said.

* The board agreed to accept and continue with the Community Development Block Grant to study the downtown area. The $10,000 grant has been received, Irish said. The cost to the town is a $2,000 match.

Selectmen voted to hire engineers Wright and Pierce to come up with a plan. Their planning division has a lot of experience with downtown planning and other community development, she said.

* After the meeting, those interested traveled to Portland to tour the ecomaine recycling facility.

“We’re just looking at options,” Irish said. “What we’re doing now and whether that’s the best option.”

[email protected]