Faced with the recent contract back out from the next two years of a three-year plowing and sanding contract, the Dresden Board of Selectmen seeks to provide the town with two years service from an alternative contractor they met with Monday.

The town will decide the matter at a special town meeting on Monday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. at Pownalborough Hall.

At their regular meeting this week, selectmen spoke with Ed Goodall, of Goodall Landscaping based in Topsham, to fill the gap at a cost of $74,000 spread out over the next two years, $37,000 each year.

The board, after negotiating with Goodall, who was one of the bidders in the original contract bidding last year, decided to move the process ahead with the special town meeting next Monday, Sept. 30.

Dresden, otherwise, will be without a winter roads contractor in view of the decision of the previous contractor, Holbrook Excavating of Woolwich.

Holbrook’s decision came up during the regular board meeting September 9, citing two reasons for withdrawal from the three-year agreement: lack of bonding and insufficient equipment for the task for this coming winter.

The town was supposed to pay for the work in three installments with this coming season to cost the town $139,977, but voters will decide whether to go along with the Goodall bid totaling $176,600 for the coming winter.

Goodall was the middle bidder of three last year with the low bidder unable to come up with the bonding, and the board has asked Goodall to have a letter from its insurance company by Monday guaranteeing its bonding. The board contacted Goodall recently to inform him about a board decision to ask him about the possibility of doing the work.

During the discussion Monday, Goodall expressed some doubt whether the bonding would go through before October 15 but agreed to furnish a document guaranteeing the bonding for the contract.

Selectman Allan Moeller said, “We just need some kind of guarantee.”

Moeller expressed the concern that the town has that in writing, since Goodall requested a change in the payment schedule starting October 15 instead of the November 15 start date for the original contract with Holbrook.

“Having a bond in place, that won’t be an issue,” Goodall said.

The change in payment schedule will be one of two warrant articles on the agenda Sept. 30 along with the contract itself. It will mean a $25,000 payment Oct. 15, which Administrative Assistant Trudy Foss said the town could do.

Goodall also told the board his company will have to purchase another truck for the job this winter. The company has had experience plowing and sanding roads in Harpswell, according to Goodall in a brief interview with him outside the meeting.

Goodall asked if he would also have the option for continuing in the future. Moeller said the company could conceivably gain a new three-year contract given a favorable company performance during the next two seasons.

As for sand provision, the board told Goodall he would have an opportunity to bid for that as well in the future, given his concern about the supply of the sand for his proposed contract with the town. This year the town has decided on the Maine Council of Governments (MCOG) cost of $49 per ton, which Moeller contrasted with last year’s cost of $62 per ton. The town will have to pay an additional 1.5 percent of the cost for a surcharge, since it does not currently have a membership in the MCOG.

Comp plan progress

Comprehensive Plan Committee Chairman David Probert gave a report to the board on the progress of the town’s comprehensive plan stating the committee has 40 percent of it completed.

Probert said the parts of the plan finished now include the population demographics, temporary housing, historical archaeological resources, and public facilities portions. He told the board the committee plans an open house night some time in the near future so the general public could provide some input and ask questions.

“We want to make sure it’s out there and people have a chance to say something if they want to,” Probert said. The committee has a goal of completion in time for the annual June 2014 town meeting.

The committee meets every third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Pownalborough Hall.

During the board meeting, selectmen Moeller and Gerald Lilley approved the reappointment of the comprehensive plan committee member, all of whom desire to stay on it, according to Probert.

Members of the committee besides Probert included Lauren Haven, Susan Southard, Dan Hanley, Gerry Smith, Linda Biden, Jeff Pierce, Peter Lincoln, Carol Facter, Eileen Long, Ann Smith, Susan Bickford Lilly and Phil Johnston.

Site plan hearing

The board announced a planning board site plan hearing Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Pownalborough Hall on a proposed plan on Hunter Road for a parking lot for boat storage and possibly sometime in the future a prospective marina.

County tax bill

The board examined the annual Lincoln County property tax bill of $166,708, which the town will have to pay right away this year.

Bog roadwork

Moeller announced that instead of blasting the ledge along part of Bog Road as originally planned, a jackhammer will be used to break away the road obstructing ditching.

Moeller also reported Central Maine Power Co. has already taken down tree in the way on the road at no cost to the town, and the town will lay down the first coat of pavement for the first 1,400 feet of the road off Blinn Hill Road this fall. The spot has all kind of rut problems there, which the paving will eliminate, he said.

Patching on a lot of other roads, including Blinn Hill, Call’s Hill Road and Indian Road.

Fire department open house

The board announced Dresden Fire Department will hold its annual open house next Wedneday, Oct. 2 at the Pownalborough facility from 5 to 7 p.m.