Freetown Select Board awards Fire Station No. 3 contract to Vera Construction

FREETOWN — July 1, 2024 — Freetown Select Board awards Fire Station No. 3 contract and moves to hire a part-time HR director. The board voted unanimously Monday to award the construction contract to Vera Construction Inc., which submitted the winning bid from a field of seven that came in below budget, on the recommendation of Stark Architects and project manager ECG. Town Administrator Debbie Majewski also secured board approval to post a part-time Human Resources Director position, citing an 80-person workforce, growing policy gaps, and the strain of handling personnel matters while managing multiple capital projects simultaneously. The board approved $55,640 in federal ARPA funds for engineering work to establish property lines at the Four Corners intersection, a prerequisite for any road improvements there, and acknowledged a $330,000 reserve fund transfer request from the fire chief after a single apparatus repair exceeded the department's entire $15,000 maintenance budget. The board also signed a letter urging the House to pass Bill 3931 — which would allow retired Freetown officers to serve as special police officers up to age 70 — before a July 31 legislative deadline.