JAY — The timber harvest on the town gravel pit on East Jay Road lot brought in nearly $20,000 more than anticipated due to better market prices and a “great job” merchandising it, selectmen learned Tuesday night.

Total revenue was $126,835.83. George Merrill & Son Logging of Jay won the contract for $107,850, a difference of $18,985.

The town paid Woodland Investment Services of Jay $9,394 to prepare the lot for cutting and a 10% flat stumpage fee of $12,683.57.

That left the town with a net income of $104,758.25, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere’s information.

Selectpersons voted 3-2 in 2021 to award Merrill the contract because of the quality of work he had done for the town in the past.

Johnny Castonguay Logging & Trucking of Livermore bid $124,140. Castonguay owns property in Jay. The amounts for Woodland’s services were not factored in.

At the time, Select Board Chairman Terry Bergeron said they were both “excellent people.”

Stephen Gettle, owner of Woodland Investment Services, also said in 2021 that they are both “good contractors.”

“George Merrill & Son Logging LLC did a great, professional job and removed all the marked timber,” Gettle said Tuesday.

Gettle estimated the harvest would be about 4,000 cords, including biomass chips on the 155 acres. Without biomass chips, it was around 2,200 cords.

“You came out very well,” Gettle said.

Gettle had been scheduled to work on the next town parcel, the high school lot. However, because of a family emergency in the past 10 days, he has to put work off until the winter of 2023.

Selectpersons said they would wait until Gettle could mark the lot, put specifications together.

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