JAY — Selectmen awarded a contract to create a safer step-down from an interior walkway at the North Jay Fire Station to a local company.

Prior to discussion on bids and a vote, Selectman Tim DeMillo stepped away from the board table Monday night to sit in the audience.

DeMillo and his wife, Mary Howes, own Howie’s Welding and Fabrication in Jay and were one of three bidders for the ramp-style project.

After reviewing bids, selectmen voted 3-0 for Howie’s Welding to install an aluminum diamond plate for the gradual step-down, rather than concrete.

Other bidders were Marco Grimaldi of Jay for a concrete ramp for $3,539 and Nason Builders of New Sharon for $1,340.

Board Chairman Steve McCourt said the latter bid did not include all of the reinforcement bars needed.

Public Safety Director Larry White Sr. said prior to the vote that both Howie’s Welding and Grimaldi’s ideas would work.

Selectman Tom Goding said if they install the metal plate and it doesn’t work, then it could be unbolted. The board agreed.

In another matter, selectmen took no action on a resident’s complaint about water running onto his property on Quarry Road.

McCourt said that town’s public works crew had replaced some culverts and did some ditching on the road. One resident had a problem with it, he said.

The town sought a legal opinion and received one via email from the town’s attorney, he said. The attorney’s opinion was the town or state has a legal easement to do the work that was done, McCourt said. It also has been more than 20 years since the original culverts were installed and it has never been challenged, he said.

Resident Daniel Poulin said it was definitely the town that put the culvert in and it doesn’t work.

McCourt said the town has the right to maintain the culverts.

Town Manager Ruth Cushman said Poulin advised her during a phone call that he planned to seek a legal opinion on the issue.

Cushman cautioned the board that since he plans to seek legal counsel the conversation should stop and town will wait to hear Poulin’s lawyer.

“We know what we have done is legal,” she said.

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