ANDOVER — Selectmen were just as confused Tuesday night about fuel bids as they were a few weeks ago. And, like last time, they tabled the matter to get clarification from the bidders, Community Energy and C.N. Brown.
By their expressions, selectmen Keith Farrington and Jane Rich clearly expected to understand the new bids better than last time, since this time the Andover School Department joined the town for its fuel needs. Farrington opened the bid envelope from Community Energy; Rich opened C.N. Brown’s envelope.
Farrington said Community Energy bid $2.1917 per gallon for No. 2 heating oil, or rack price plus 22 cents a gallon, and 25 cents a gallon over rack price for on-road diesel. Then, with an eyebrow raised, he read that their bid price doesn’t include fees and taxes.
Rich, who admitted last time that she doesn’t understand fuel bidding shorthand, read C.N. Brown’s bid of $2.089 a gallon for 5,000 gallons of No. 2 heating oil. The kicker, however, is that Andover must take a minimum delivery of 7,500 gallons.
“We can’t take a 7,500-gallon delivery,” Farrington said. “Our tank isn’t that big…which is confusing because they should know that.”
It wasn’t clear what C.N. Brown’s bid was for diesel fuel, but Farrington said they were less expensive than Community Energy. C.N. Brown currently supplies Andover with fuel.
In other business, selectmen met with Oxford County Administrator Scott Cole, who came early for the meeting, but left after an hour while selectmen heard another matter. He returned after all but one town official and others attending the meeting for the earlier matter left en masse when that was finished.
Cole gave the board an update on his meetings with Andover Road Commissioner Mark Farrington and Farrington’s contractor, Steve Swasey. Cole said he hadn’t run anything by commissioners yet. Selectmen were hoping to negotiate reimbursement rates from the county to cover summer road maintenance and winter plowing on East B Hill and South Arm roads.
Farrington said it’s the billing rate the town needs ironed out with the county.
“We decided we’re not breaking even,” Rich said.
“The county is slow on paying on its bills,” Cole said.
Cole and Farrington and Rich then began throwing numbers around, but didn’t settle on anything. However, all agreed Andover needs whatever gets decided in writing.
tkarkos@sunmediagroup.net
Send questions/comments to the editors.
