LIVERMORE — Selectpersons voted Tuesday night to award the mowing bid for town properties and cemeteries to S & R Lawn Care, owned by Seth Langlin of Livermore.

Three-year bids for mowing town properties and separate 3-year bids to mow the cemeteries had been requested.

Sunshine Pools of Jay, which has been mowing both, presented a bid for the cemeteries starting with $19,000 for 2024 and increasing to $20,000 in 2025 and $21,000 in 2026. The total for the three years was $60,000.

C5 Property Management of Mechanic Falls submitted a $21,285 bid for all three years to mow the cemeteries, a total of $63,855.

Sunshine Pools also bid on mowing town properties, which include the town office/fire station complex, the town library, the ball fields, the commons, beach launches and the monument. The bid included $8,500 for 2024, $9,000 for 2025 and $9,500 for 2036, a total of $27,000.

C5 Management’s bid for town properties was $14,850 for each of the three years or $44,550 for all three.

Langlin, of S & R Lawn Care, submitted one bid of $17,500 for 2024, $18,500 for 2025 and $19,500 for 2026. The $55,500 total bid did not specify which mowing it was for.

Selectperson Scott Richmond spoke of awarding the contract to the low bidder in the past and then having to let the person go for not doing the job as specified. He noted Langlin’s bid was similar to the others for cemetery mowing.

Chair Mark Chretien called Langlin, who stated he thought the bid request was for mowing town properties and the cemeteries, rather than two separate bid requests. Langlin confirmed his bid was for both.

During the ensuing discussion, Chretien said he favored hiring someone from town when possible.

Richmond said Langlin would essentially be mowing the town properties for free.

“So if we take (Langlin) on, he’s going to do it one year and could not want to finish the contract,” Selectperson Joshua Perkins stated.

Chretien noted Langlin could decide not to sign the contract if it is offered to him. In that case, the other bids submitted would be considered, he said.

Selectpersons Chretien, Perkins and Jeremy Emerson voted to award the bid to Langlin. Richmond abstained and Selectperson Brett Deyling did not attend the meeting.