Buxton board opens crack-seal and paving bids; resident asks how awards are decided

The Buxton Select Board opened sealed bids for municipal pavement work at its July 15 meeting, reading offers for crack sealing and hot-mix paving. Chair read crack-seal bids from Coastal Road Repair LLC of Westbrook at $22.87 per gallon and Superior Construction Services at $45.00 per gallon; a seal-coating quote of $24.97 per gallon and paving bids including Shaw Brothers at $99.90 per ton and Dayton Sand and Gravel at $93 per ton were also presented. The board said it will review the bids and notify contractors of awards.

A member of the public asked whether the board alone decides which sealed bids to award or if staff and department heads are consulted. The board replied that it “usually award[s] the bid to the lowest bidder as a board,” adding that the board may skip a low bid “unless there was something wrong with the bid” and then select the next compliant bidder. The transcript includes an additional numeric “asphalt escalator” figure read aloud for some bids; the escalator numbers in the record were not fully clear and will be reviewed with the contractors before any award.