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Council approves completion of firefighter living quarters after amendment, 6–1
Summary
After hearing from Chief Bouchard and public supporters, the council amended and approved an order to complete and furnish firefighter living quarters on Franklin Street, limiting the unfunded remainder to about $24,462.97 and authorizing the town manager to direct the chief to complete the project using special-reserve sale proceeds.
The Lisbon Town Council voted to complete and furnish firefighter living quarters located on Franklin Street, approving an amended order that limits additional spending to roughly $24,462.97 and authorizes the town manager to direct the fire chief to finish the project using proceeds from a special-reserve account established from sale of surplus property.
Fire Chief Chris Bouchard described the operational need for reliable overnight staffing and faster response times, citing recent incidents where overnight response times were slower because no personnel were on duty. Bouchard said completing the living quarters would improve firefighter safety, allow on-site shower and laundry facilities that reduce occupational contamination risk, strengthen morale and retention, and support 24-hour coverage aligned with mutually agreed staffing expectations.
Chief Bouchard told the council the department had reduced the scope and cut nonessential items so the project cost fell from an earlier $138,000 estimate to below $120,000 while preserving core objectives. Staff later identified an outstanding invoice and a clerical wording error in the July 15, 2025 authorization that left the purchase of the unit authorized but not the finishing costs; the amended order closed that gap.
Council debate focused on fiscal prudence and scope. Some councilors and members of the public urged completing the project because the town had already invested in the mobile unit and operational needs are pressing; others pressed for a narrow, bare-bones completion list to limit taxpayer expense. The council amended the order to specify up to $24,462.97 in additional spending (with a narrowly scoped allowance to exceed that only for the water-meter installation if the invoice is higher) and approved the order by roll call, 6–1 (Councilor Garnett opposed).
Why it matters: councilors framed the vote as an effort to deliver on a previously approved project while tightening fiscal controls and clarifying authorization language so taxpayer funds are used only for defined, necessary items.
Next step: the chief and staff will finalize outstanding invoices and complete furnishing to the scope agreed by the council; council asked staff to return any unspent balance to the special-reserve account for future capital use.
