Douglas Capital Panel Reorganizes, Splits Stalled Fire Station Project Into Three Parts

DOUGLAS — July 23, 2025 — Douglas Capital Improvement Committee reorganizes and confronts three stalled capital projects. The committee unanimously reelected Michael Fitzpatrick as chair and appointed Chris Popka as vice chair at its July 23 meeting before turning to a series of capital items that did not receive funding at the spring Annual Town Meeting. Town Administrator Matt Yelinek told the committee that a recent bid for fire station HVAC and electrical upgrades came in significantly above the available appropriation — driven by general contractor overhead — and that he intends to divide the work into three separate procurements rather than rebid the combined project, saying "the taxpayer would be paying way too much for the work" under the original approach. The committee also discussed the pending purchase of an ambulance stretcher and associated equipment estimated at $75,405, which depends on what remains of a $450,000 ambulance appropriation once a final bid is returned. A third item — demolition of the deteriorating Brown House at 19 Main Street, with asbestos abatement alone estimated at $25,000 to $30,000 — may be partly funded by a state budget earmark for town common area improvements, though Yelinek cautioned that all such earmarks are frozen pending a state rescission process tied to anticipated federal funding reductions.