SAUGUS — The town’s effort to expand its cemetery space has hit a snag, as the Cemetery Commission discussed a procedural problem that might have invalidated the bid approved for the process at its latest meeting.

Massachusetts requires that municipalities provide space for residents to be buried if they choose so, and Saugus has been trying to address a dwindling supply of cemetery space in town. Last year, the town approved an allocation not exceeding $66,000 to conduct a land survey to verify if land near Riverside Cemetery is suitable for expansion and to begin the “design and implementation process” at June’s Special Town Meeting.

At the commission’s meeting, Chair Richard Thomspon said that the approved bid for the expansion was submitted by Engineering Alliance. Thompson said that there was an assumption during the summer that Engineering Alliance and the town were communicating about the survey, which has to be conducted when the leaves have fallen off the trees.

He said that he then heard from Town Manager Scott Crabtree’s office that Crabtree had determined that due to the amount of money of the bid and the type of work, the commission had to receive three proposals. While the commission had requested quotes from other companies, it only received the one from Engineering Alliance.

“I don’t believe any other bid, especially now almost a year later, is going to come in at the same amount,” Thompson said. “Noone’s wanted to give a bid.”

Due to inflation, members of the commission said that the cost of the bid would likely be much higher now. The commission would then have to go back to Town Meeting to request a greater amount.

Thompson also said that if the town puts this out to bid again, Engineering Alliance would probably submit a higher bid as well.

“There’s no way he can honor that a year later, with inflation and everything,” Commission member Ron Wallace said. “Usually every bid has a date on it, the price is good until this date.”

John Falasca, the superintendent of the town’s Cemetery Department, said that the town only has 22 graves left.

Thompson said he will meet with Crabtree to see if the town would step in to take over any of the work on the expansion project. 

Falasca asked if the aerial survey of the land could be done now.

“You only have another, not even a month and you won’t be able to see,” Falasca said. “Can you ask Scott if we can have that part of it done, and now you got all summer to mess around, because we don’t want to wait until next fall to do an air survey.” 

Thompson said that he wants to schedule another meeting of the commission as soon as possible, and that he would be interested in having Crabtree attend to discuss the issue with its members.

“I was trying to find good explanations for you guys, but I don’t have them yet,” Thompson said. “But the clock is ticking.”