Monson board seeks proposals on plow contract and other projects

By Bill Pearson
Staff Writer

    MONSON — The selectmen have set a deadline for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18 to receive bids for winter snow plowing, a tax acquired property, road maintenance on Indian Point and for sand and salt. The selectmen discussed the projects and set the deadline during their May 15 meeting.

    The selectmen are seeking a contractor who is able to load sand into their own truck. The selectmen considered requiring the contractor to either own a grader or have access to one and be equipped with a pre-wetting system, but they decided against including those specifications. The contractor must agree to plow when at least one inch of snow has fallen.
    “If a grader is needed to cut the ice buildup, it would still be up to the contractor to hire a grader. The selectmen or the road commissioner would make that determination,” said Town Manager Julie Anderson.
    The town has contracted with Tim Knowlton, of Abbot, for the past three years. Monson paid $2,850 per mile to plow the 75.25 miles of town roads for the previous winter season.
    In other action, town officials have completed the cleanup of the tax acquired property on 35 Water Street. The town hired a contractor to clean out the abandoned house in preparation for putting it out to bid. They have scheduled an open house for 6 p.m. on May 29 to allow prospective bidders to view the recently tidied-up building. Town officials are seeking a minimum bid of $12,000 to erase the property’s back taxes, water and sewer bills debt.
    The selectmen are also seeking bids to repair a 500-to 1,000-foot section of the Indian Point Loop. They want someone to perform ditching and reconstruct a muddy section of the road. The town is also soliciting bids for sand and salt.
    The selectmen are expected to consider all bid offers during next meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19 in the municipal building.