The Alna Board of Selectmen agreed to renew the town’s snow-plowing and sanding contract with Hanley Construction Inc. for a fifth year at their regular meeting Jan. 12.
Alna first signed a three-year contract with Hanley in 2008. The town renegotiated and contracted with Hanley for a fourth year in 2011.
The newest agreement, totaling roughly $161,000, was tentatively agreed to at the same rate as previous years. The new contract covers Alna through the 2012-2013 winter season and includes the option for a sixth and seventh year.
“[Hanley’s] done a real good job for us over the years,” First Selectman David Abbott said after the meeting.
Abbott said the decision to renew Hanley for a fifth year was based largely on his willingness to offer a contract that mirrored the price of previous years. Had he offered a higher price, the town would have likely gone out to bid, Abbott said.
While the parameters of the contract have been agreed upon, the Board will hold off on signing until June. The two parties must first agree on a fuel clause, a portion of the contract that requires the Town to reimburse Hanley for fuel costs should it go higher than a set amount.
This clause, which is in the current agreement, would help mitigate Hanley’s losses should oil prices rise sharply.
According to Abbott, money used toward firefighter training was drawn from the town clerk’s training fund. Abbott said the Board noticed the error after wondering why the firefighter training fund had more money in it than usual.
The two accounts will ultimately be adjusted to reflect their actual balance.
“It’s all part of the general fund, but it was a technicality we couldn’t overlook,” Abbott said.