PITTSFIELD — Mayor John Ring cast the tie-breaking vote Tuesday night, authorizing up to $17,500 in reimbursement costs to Tom and Daphne Wright.

The reimbursment was for pumps and engineering for a pumping station at Wright’s Emporium, a restaurant on Hartland Avenue. Because of a faulty valve in the sewer line uphill from the restaurant, a vacuum was created in the line. The Wrights’ pumping station was unable to pump against the vacuum and was repeatedly damaged.

The Wrights maintained that a $600 valve placed in the sewer line could correct their problem and that the valve should have been installed when the line was constructed.

Several council members thought that the town should reimburse the Wrights but wanted documented bills to be presented first, as well as an attempt made by the town to recover damages from Dirigo Engineering, the firm that constructed the line.

Councilor Harold “Butch” Perry said he was uncomfortable with agreeing that the construction was faulty. He said he had only seen one letter, from Dirigo, that said the construction was not at fault for the damage to the pumping stations. He was told by Councilor Don Harriman that Wright had letters from other engineers that blamed the construction for the damage, but Perry said these letters had never been presented to councilors.

“I don’t think we can hand out ratepayers’ money without proof positive that the town was at fault,” Perry said. Councilor Teri Marino agreed and suggested that a third, mediating engineer look at the system and provide an independent assessment.

The three councilors who voted not to authorize the reimbursement were overruled by Ring’s deciding vote.

In other business, Ring opposed the appointment of Clyde Dyar as the town’s economic development director.

Ring expressed concern regarding Dyar’s ownership in a small shopping mall in Norridgewock. “I question whether he is totally loyal to the town of Pittsfield,” said Ring. His was the only dissenting vote after Dyar said he would guarantee no conflict of interest. “My record speaks for itself,” said Dyar, who has been an economic consulant for Pittsfield for several years and a key figure in Pittsfield’s success in obtaining grants.