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Middlebury weighs whether to pause or fund $825,000 completion of fire headquarters sprinkler system
Summary
First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr and Fire Marshal Brian Proulx told the Board of Finance that finishing the volunteer fire headquarters sprinkler system will cost about $825,000; the town has applied to Congresswoman Hayes for a federal Community Projects Grant but would have to wait months for funding, forcing a choice between pausing work and using local reserves or moving ahead now.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr told the Board of Finance on March 11 that completing the sprinkler system at the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department headquarters will cost roughly $825,000 and that about 45% of the wet system is already installed.
The estimate, she said, covers finishing the wet system, installing the dry system and completing ceiling work that is currently about 25% done. “It will cost $825,000 to complete this project,” Mahr said in presenting the estimates the town received from the electrician, builder and plumber.
Mahr said she has submitted a Community Projects Grant request to Congresswoman Hayes’ office seeking federal funds. If the Congresswoman recommends the Town’s request, the funding would then be forwarded to Washington for consideration and — if approved — would be added through the federal budget process, which can take about six months. Any federal award would be administered by HUD and would require HUD to perform its own assessment before releasing funds, Mahr said.
Fire Marshal Brian Proulx described the risk to the department if the system remains unfinished. He said a partially energized system can protect four high-risk areas — the apparatus bay, the meeting and gathering room, the kitchen and the basement utilities — and estimated those spaces contain $12 million to $15 million in equipment and apparatus that would be protected by partial energization. “Once the system is partially energized, those high‑risk areas will be protected in about eight weeks,” Proulx said.
Board members focused on two practical options: wait to see whether federal grant funding is awarded or proceed now and absorb the cost locally. CFO Seth Bernstein told the board his Undesignated Fund Balance analysis shows that after maintaining the required 8% reserve ($3,657,841) the town would have about $337,711 available for FY26-27 pay-as-you-go projects without breaching the 8% requirement. That amount is less than the sprinkler completion estimate.
Mahr outlined a second option now on the FY26-27 pay-as-you-go list: a $829,910 line item for “Fire Sprinkler Phase 2” that could be removed from the FY26-27 list and funded through Undesignated Funds with later approval (via Town Meeting or referendum) if needed. She said that process is slower and “not the most efficient,” but legally possible.
The board also discussed insurance implications of pausing work. Mahr said she spoke with the town’s insurance broker, who indicated that a temporary pause should not affect coverage so long as the town can partially energize the system soon and protect the listed high‑risk areas. Proulx cautioned the board to consider operational exposure during any pause.
No formal vote was taken on funding the sprinkler completion at the March 11 meeting. The board requested additional detail on reserve accounts and directed staff to continue exploring grant, reserve-reallocation and referendum options. The town plans to monitor the grant process and revisit funding decisions when more information is available.
