FARMINGTON — Selectmen on Tuesday approved a $10,700 bid from a Washington-based business for the town’s website design project.

After comparing proposals, the Website Design Committee recommended contracting with ezSite Content Management Systems of Bellevue, Wash.

The recommendation was based on the company’s professional proposal, ability to work with all computer platforms and integrate with the town’s system. The committee also based it on the value of the product they expect to receive, Town Manager Richard Davis said, speaking as a committee member.

Other members included James House, police Deputy Chief Shane Cote, Mark Caldwell and Cindy Gelinas, who were all present.

Proposals ranged in cost from $4,000 to $53,000.

Although two of the top four proposals considered were Maine companies, one, KDK Consulting Group of Saco, would have been chosen if not for its $24,200 price, Davis said.

The other, Ben Greeley Web Development from Waterville, provided a $4,000 bid but the proposal was based on a program that would probably not support all the town wants to do in the future with the site, including paying bills and making applications, House told the board.

Building the new design is expected to take up to four months.

The board also approved taking the funds from the assessor’s property valuation account, which has more than $80,000, to pay for the new design.

In other business, the board approved the sale of the Fire Department’s 1989 fire rescue squad truck to New Vineyard Fire Department for $3,190.

The New Vineyard bid was the highest of four, ranging from $1,000 to the $3,190.

The board also heard from Assessor Mark Caldwell, who was asked to report on the status of the town’s property assessment project.

The work on property values should be finished in time for this year’s assessments, which are usually sent in August, Caldwell said. Notices will be sent to property owners and time will be allowed for them to talk with the assessor prior to the tax bills being sent.

Caldwell told the board he thinks there aren’t any drastic changes to property valuations.

The board also voted 3-2 to not endorse the town manager as a Maine Town, City and County Management Ambassador. As an ambassador, he would provide occasional mentoring and advice to newer town managers while putting his primary work as Farmington’s town manager first, Davis explained.

Selectman Andrew Hufnagel said he would not endorse it because of the issues the town will be facing in the next few years. He wanted the manager focused on those.

Selectmen Ryan Morgan and Joshua Bell voted with Hufnagel on a motion to not endorse the appointment, while Selectmen Jessica Berry and Dennis Pike voted against the motion.

abryant@sunjournal.com