Jaffrey Select Board accepts Hillson Contractors’ $3.275M bid for fire station addition; Lawn recuses

The Town of Jaffrey Select Board on April 22 accepted a review group's recommendation to award the design‑build contract for the Jaffrey Fire Station addition and renovation to Hillson Contractors of Jaffrey, with an estimated cost of $3,275,000 and a target for substantial completion by Oct. 1, 2026. The motion to accept the recommendation was made by Selectman Franklin W. Sterling Jr. and seconded by Chairman Charles Turcotte; the board approved the contract award by a 2-0-1 vote with Selectman Andrew Lawn recused for a familiar‑interest conflict.

The town solicited Statements of Qualifications and received nine letters of interest; six full submittals were scored by a review group made up of Fire Chief Chamberlain, the superintendent of facilities (Croteau), reviewer John Griffin (identified in the record as a Jaffrey resident and call firefighter), and Peterborough Deputy Fire Chief Brad Winters. The review group interviewed finalists and recommended three firms to the Select Board: Hutter Construction (New Ipswich) at an estimated $3,667,589 (unable to commit to Dec. 31, 2026 completion), Turnstone Corporation (Milford) at about $3,682,224.26 (unable to commit to Dec. 31, 2026), and Hillson Contractors (Jaffrey) at an estimated $3,275,000 with an October 1, 2026 substantial completion date.

According to the meeting record, Hillson’s estimated cost is below the Town’s approved budget, which the board noted provides flexibility for unforeseen project issues or additional design‑build costs. The board agreed the firm’s proposed schedule better met the town’s timeline requirements. The review group had evaluated qualifications, experience, presentation, estimated costs and proposed completion dates before making the recommendation.

The record shows the board accepted the group’s recommendation on a motion by Franklin W. Sterling Jr., seconded by Charles Turcotte. The vote record in the minutes lists two affirmative votes and one recusal; Selectman Andrew Lawn recused himself due to a familiarity bias noted in the minutes.

The Select Board did not specify contract execution details, contingency amounts, or a construction start date in the minutes. The review group members listed in the record and the three finalist firms were identified in the staff presentation to the board. Next procedural steps (contract finalization, bonding/insurance verification, and construction schedule confirmation) were not specified in the minutes.