The Nobleboro Board of Selectmen have canceled their contract with Marriner’s Paving, of Rockport, after the paving was not completed even two weeks after the project’s deadline, according to Selectman Chair Dick Spear.
“We had put Oct. 1 for it to be done, and by Oct. 15 they hadn’t shown up,” Spear said.
More than just the deadline, Spear said temperatures played a role in the decision to cancel the contract.
“With cold weather the hot top doesn’t stick as well as when it’s nice and warm out,” Spear said, adding that Nobleboro has had problems in the past when hot topping is done at the end of October or in early November.
The projects planned for this year were paving seven-tenths of a mile on Upper East Pond road from an area recently paved to East Pond Road, and eight-tenths of a mile on Eugley Hill Road from its intersection with Upper East Pond Road to the Waldoboro town line, according to town documents.
Both Spear and a representative from Marriner’s signed the contract for the project in early August, said Town Clerk Mary Ellen Anderson.
Given the town’s experience this year, Spear said the selectmen likely would not choose Marriner’s for future projects unless there was a significant difference in price.
A call to Marriner’s for comment on the selectmen’s decision was not returned by press time.
Marriner’s was awarded the project for a low bid of $76 per ton of paving material, according to Anderson. Other bidders were Harry C. Crooker & Sons, of Topsham, at $79.72 a ton, and Lane Construction Corp., of Bangor, at $82.70 a ton.
Road Commissioner John York is working on repaving about 150 feet of Upper East Pond Road which is really broken up, Spear said. The repairs are expected to be around $2000.
“Other than that, the road will make it until next spring,” he said.
Spear said the selectmen will hold off on the projects, and carry over the remainder of the $90,000 approved for paving this year into next year.
In addition to completing this year’s projects, completing some paving on Duckpuddle Road is planned for 2014, Anderson said.
