LIVERMORE FALLS — Five bids were submitted to provide a furnace for the town’s Public Works Garage and selectmen will try to find someone to advise them which would be best.

“We have raised $18,000 for a furnace, Town Manager Kristal Flagg told selectmen Monday. “We didn’t put it out to bid” but highway foreman Billy Nichols got in touch will all the local companies that do that type of work, she said.

The problem is the bids have different components and are very confusing, she said.

The furnaces are all gas and propane, Nichols said.

The bids came in Friday and he had not had a chance to study them thoroughly or get advice on what would work best for the town, he said.

“I’m not comfortable making a recommendation,” he said.

Selectman Kenny Jacques asked resident and businessman Bruce Adams of Group Adams Propane Services if he could advise.

“I want to stay neutral,” Adams said. He submitted a bid for the job.

Board Chairman Bill Demaray said they need to look for someone who didn’t put in a bid to help the town figure out which system would best fit the town’s needs. He suggested Flagg contact Maine Municipal Association to see if they could recommend someone to advise them.

In another matter, selectmen in their capacity as Sewer Department trustees voted to go with a bid of $12,000 for a sewage pump from Walker Wellington out of Portsmouth, N.H., which includes installation.

Another bid of $15,600 did not include installation, Flagg said.

The pump will be installed in the Shuy Corner pump station. The station has been operating on one pump instead of two that are needed, Flagg said. All of the other pump stations have two pumps.

It is unknown how long the single pump will last if a second one is not added, she said.

dperry@sunjournal.com