PARIS – The summer that never came is already almost over, and the Oxford County commissioners are preparing for the winter season.

At their monthly meeting Tuesday, the commissioners awarded contracts for snow removal in Milton Township, Andover North Surplus, C Surplus and Albany Township, as well as the Oxford County Regional Airport in Oxford.

Thornton Brothers of Milton Township was the only company to submit a bid to plow five miles of road there. The commissioners awarded the company a two-year contract at the rate of $20,300 for the first year and $22,300 for the second.

Last year the county paid $17,200 for plowing in Milton Township, county Administrative Assistant Carole Mahoney said. “That’s a 20 percent increase.”

Commissioner Steve Merrill responded that gas prices may account for some of the jump in price. “Last year the fuel was about $1.40 a gallon, now it’s about $1.80,” he said.

Merrill, Chairman Albert Carey and Commissioner Fred Kennard voted 3-0 to award the contract.

They also voted 3-0 to award Smith Enterprises, again the sole bidder, a three-year contract to plow five miles of East B Hill Road in Andover North and C surpluses. The contract was awarded at a rate of $2,700 per mile for the first year, $2,900 per mile for the second and $3,000 per mile for the third

Wilson Excavation Inc. of Waterford was one of two companies bidding on snow removal for 22 miles of roads in Albany Township. A proposal that started at the rate of $2,900 per mile for the first year and increased $100 each successive year was rejected in favor of a bid from Hatstat and Sons of Albany Township.

The commissioners voted 3-0 to award Hatstat Brothers a three-year contract at the rate of $1,500 per mile for the first year, with $100 increases each successive year.

In a final vote, the sole bidder for a contract to plow the Oxford County Regional Airport runway, parking area and entrance was awarded a three-year seasonal bases with another 3-0 vote.

Richard Bean of Otisfield has been awarded the job for the next three years at the rates of $15,200 for the first season, $15,300 for the second and $15,400 for the last.