PALMYRA – Dozens of bids were opened Wednesday night for work on Palmyra’s 14 miles of dirt roads. No decision was made, but a special workshop was set for May 1 to go over the bids carefully and make sure they are comparable.

“What we will be looking for is the most responsible bid,” Selectman Priscilla Jones said.

“Not necessarily the lowest bid,” added Chairman Dan Sprague. “The most responsible bid.”

Only three bids were received for the town’s paving needs and they were close, with the top bid at $239,103 and the bottom at $214,876.

But when it came to the gravel and ditching bids, the spread was wide. Sixteen vendors sent bids – eight for each project – and most of the bidders were at the meeting.

The gravel bids ranged from $266,025 to $117,765, and none of the bidders had questions.

The ditching bids, however, were spread wildly from a low of $10,500 to a high of $185,000. Several of the contractors present said that the bid specifications were difficult to quote from and the work was impossible to put an accurate figure on. The contractors cited the wide range of bids as proof that the process was flawed.

The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, to review each of the bids, compare their details and make awards.