JAY — Selectpersons voted Tuesday to accept a bid of $812,000 from Bedard Excavation of South Paris to rebuild a section of Macomber Hill Road that was heavily damaged by flooding June 29, 2023.
The section over Macomber Stream has been closed since then.
Multiple people picked up bid packets, but only Bedard Excavation submitted one, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said.
Officials are still working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to find out what amount it will pay. Once that is determined, 75% of the cost will be paid by FEMA, 15% by the state and 10% by the town.

Jay selectpersons accepted an $812,000 offer Tuesday from Bedard Excavation of South Paris to repair this washout on Macomber Hill Road that occurred in June 2023. The road runs between state Routes 133 and 4 in North Jay. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal
The town has two other road reconstruction projects out for bids. Begin and Hutchinson roads were also heavily damaged during the heavy rainstorm.
The board also voted to have a section of the Whistle Stop Trail restored because that was also damaged by the storm. It involves two culverts and trail repairs. The town sewer main is along the trail.
The state Department of Conservation is working on the section of the trail where a larger washout occurred in the Look Brook Circle area in Jay, which is closed from U.S. Route 2 and state Route 4 in Wilton into Jay, LaFreniere said.
The federal agency will pay for part of this but the amount is unknown at this time.
“Through FEMA’s process they are able to provide qualifying mitigation funding at 100% pre-disaster cost,” LaFreniere said.
The damage to Jay roads, sewer lines and trails was estimated at $7.9 million.
President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for Franklin County and other areas of Maine.
In other business, the Select Board voted to table the sole bid for repairing a section of the Public Works sand salt building. Selectperson Thomas Goding, who owns Thomas C. Goding & Son building contractor, submitted the bid and did not participate in the discussion.
The bid will be opened at the June 10 meeting when all members are most likely to attend. Chairman Terry Bergeron was absent because of a death in his family.
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