JAY — Selectpersons voted Tuesday to award the contract to harvest timber on a town lot behind the Jay Plaza to George Merrill & Son Logging LLC of Jay.

Board Vice Chairman Justin Merrill, who is part of the family-owned business, took a seat in the audience while the discussion and vote were held.

It is a selective harvest, forester Steve Gettle of Jay told the board. There are 34 acres of harvestable land behind Hannaford and other stores in the plaza.

“It is a lot that just needs to be thinned,” Gettle previously said.

The property is beyond the former railroad bed that is now part of the Whistle-Stop Trail from Farmington to Jay. Selectmen had discussed several years ago using the property as an industrial park but the lot was too wet and didn’t meet Maine Department of Environmental Protection guidelines.

The town has a 50-foot right of way over the railroad bed. The Andy Valley Riders Snowmobile Club also has a building on the property.

Mosquito Brook also goes through the property.

There were four bids and $367 separated the two highest ones, Gettle said.

George Merrill & Sons bid $22,173.50 and Jean Castonguay Logging and Excavation Inc. of Livermore Falls bid $22,540.50. L & L Timber of Livermore bid $15,744 and Mike Burhoe of Jay bid $17,540, Gettle said.

Justin Merrill said he realized his family business’ bid was $367 less than Castonguay’s but the latter chips and George Merrill & Son doesn’t, he said from the audience. Merrill is George Merrill’s son and works with his father in the business.

Merrill said his company uses the wood efficiently and instead of putting some of it into chips, it would end up in hardwood pulp. He also noted that the Merrill wood landing would be smaller at less than 50 feet by 100 feet and Castonguay’s would be about 60 feet by at least 200 feet due to the equipment used.

“Jean is a good guy. We do a lot with him,” Merrill said.

Gettle was asked by the board to give a recommendation.

“It is tough. They are almost equal bids,” he said.

He discussed the aspects of the job and the wood. He did not make a recommendation, saying both companies were very good.

Selectmen voted to give the contract to the Merrills.

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