CHELSEA — The Board of Selectmen voted to create a series of qualifications contractors must meet before entering the bid process for snowplow contracts following the contract controversies that have embroiled the town.
At a meeting Wednesday night, Town Manager Scott Tilton asked selectmen for a motion to allow him to continue to engineer the pre-qualification process.
When put to vote, it passed unanimously.
Frank Monroe, a Whitefield contractor whose plowing contract with the town is being questioned, was present at the meeting but refused to comment when selectmen asked him a question about road mileage.
Monroe is involved in legal action against the town about a current plowing contract that selectmen and Town Attorney Stephen Langsdorf say doesn’t exist.
Monroe contends he holds the contract through 2012 and is threatening legal action to retain his plowing contract, which selectmen apparently never signed.
Monroe’s attorney, Sean Farris, said Monday he would file the suit within a month.
Monroe admitted that he paid kickbacks to former Selectman Carole Swan. She is accused of soliciting as much as $20,000 in kickbacks.
Swan, along with her husband, Marshall, was also at Wednesday’s meeting. Both of them spoke on a variety of issues.
Carole Swan was arrested Feb. 10 and charged with aggravated forgery and criminal attempt, both felonies; and two counts of improper compensation for services, a misdemeanor.
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