BETHEL — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted Wednesday evening to award the roadside directional sign bid to Ryan Mechanical Services from Rumford and Swan ScreenPrinting from Bethel.

Town Manager Jim Doar told the board that they received three different bids: one from Auburn sign-making company Neokraft, one from Ryan’s Mechanical Services and one from Swan ScreenPrinting.

However, Doar pointed out that Ryan Mechanical Services could not make the signs but could do the metal work involved with the project.

Doar said that he spoke with both companies to see if they would be okay with working with each other on the project, to which they agreed.

Selectman Peter Southam said, “In some ways, I like the idea of going with the local companies, but in other ways, I like the idea of going with the bigger company, like Neokraft.”

Selectman Don Bennett said he wished to award the bid to both Ryan’s Mechanical Services and Swan ScreenPrinting, adding that he “knew Patrick Ryan and Ross Swan” and that they would be able “to do a good job in a decent amount of time.”

“That’s who I would want to work with,” Bennett said. “I know both of them, and if we needed something, we could give them a phone call and they’d be there in 15 minutes.”

The board subsequently voted to award the bid to the two companies.

Doar said that both Ryan Mechanical Services and Swan ScreenPrinting said they could begin installation after three weeks of lead time, compared to the eight weeks that Neokraft offered.

The selectmen originally were scheduled to award the roadside directional sign bid to a company on July 15, but they re-scheduled it to Wednesday to give Neokraft time to prepare their bid.

In other business, the board unanimously voted to push the approval of the 2014 sewer budget to the next selectman meeting.

The postponement came after Waste Water Treatment Superintendent Robert Gunderson requested that his employees receive a 7.5 percent raise as opposed to a 2 percent raise.

The board voted to postpone approving the sewer budget until they could find a way to free up revenue.

The board also unanimously voted to approve liquor licenses for the Mill Hill Inn and 22 Broad Street at Gideon Hastings, as well as an entertainment permit renewal for the Mill Hill Inn and a lodging and victualler license renewal for the Austin’s Holidae House.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com