Mathews County supervisors moved ahead with restoration plans for New Point Comfort Lighthouse, unanimously approving a contract with First Class Contracting in the amount of $894,585.

The bid from First Class Contracting, the lowest bid on the project, requires a local match of $236,703.

During discussion, supervisor Paul Hudgins questioned why the county had gone with the lowest bid and asked for information how the contractor was chosen.

Mathews County Planning and Zoning Director Thomas Jenkins explained that the contractor had completed projects all across the state, had a good record, and had been approved by VDOT for the job. He said the reason the company was able to make a lower bid than others was because it was saving money by placing the beacon on the island in a temporary structure rather than hauling it on a barge to another location. He said it would require fewer cranes and less scaffolding.

Board chairman Amy Dubois emphasized that it was “a best value det...