PERU — Selectmen spent several hours Monday going over costs for repairing the Cummings Bridge that washed away during Tropical Storm Irene.

Voters approved spending $200,000 at the annual town meeting with 80 percent to come from budget surplus and the remainder from the bridge surplus funds. Road Commissioner Joe Roach had gotten a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for 50 percent of the cost of the bridge. When the construction bids were opened Monday, the board was taken aback with the costs: The lowest bid was $97,447 from Sargent Corp. of Stillwater. The highest bid was $163,717 from E. L. Vining & Son of Farmington.

The board set a special town meeting for Monday, Dec. 5, to get voters’ permission to accept the reimbursement money and to cap spending on the bridge at $100,000.

In other business, selectmen approved Fire Chief Bill Hussey giving the ham operators radios that cannot be reprogrammed to meet the new codes.

The Wind Ordinance Committee will meet Wednesday to discuss voters passing the wind ordinance moratorium by 466-129.

Nick Waugh from the Friends of the Peru School talked to the board about having a contract. Waugh will also apply for the Gibson Grant, which is still available. This was the $10,000 grant voters turned down, but now the Friends of Peru School can apply for it.

The board also discussed a problem with the leaky Town Office roof. Selectman Tim Holland will try to seal up the leaks.