MADAWASKA — The Board of Selectmen agreed to extend a cable television agreement, increase fuel oil and gasoline bids, and look at replacing community communications equipment, at its biweekly meeting Wednesday night.

The board decided to extend the franchise agreement with Frontiervision for cable television service for six months, to June 30 from its contract expiration of Dec. 31, 1996, as long as the company meets with selectmen within 60 days for discussions.

Frontiervision asked for the extension to complete negotiations for a new franchise. Frontiervision took over the service from United Cablevision in 1996.

Selectman Donald Clavette said he has “misgivings” about the service. Town Manager Arthur Faucher said it’s probably because the service has “equipment that is quite old.”

Selectmen Verne Doucette said other cable companies may be interested in coming to Madawaska and “they should be contacted. Without competition they can give us anything they want.”

J.S.B. Energy of Madawaska was the apparent low bidder last week to furnish the town and its schools with No. 2 and diesel fuel. Its owner, Larry Beaulieu, asked selectmen Wednesday to allow an increase in his bids, which would still keep them the lowest.

Beaulieu said new billing procedures by the supplier he deals with would increase his costs because the town and schools don’t usually pay their fuel bills until a month after delivery. He said he also forgot to include a Superfund cost of nearly three-quarters of a cent per gallon.

Selectmen agreed to increase the bid by the Superfund addition, but balked at other cost increases. They wanted to seek new bids instead.

In the end, the town agreed to pay for deliveries within the week they are made. Beaulieu said that would preclude his having to increase the bid. He is to meet with school officials with the same issue.

The new prices are still about 3 cents less per gallon than bids by Dead River Oil Co. and Daigle Oil Co.

Selectmen also agreed to look into the replacement of municipal radio communications equipment at Fraser’s and at the antenna site. The present equipment was installed in 1956 and 1961, respectively.

The cost of the new equipment was not known Wednesday.