Douglas Capital Panel Backs $1.37 Million Across Five Projects for Town Meeting

DOUGLAS — March 25, 2026 — Douglas's Capital Planning Committee endorsed roughly $1.37 million in capital projects at its March 25 meeting, splitting the requests between a special and a regular town meeting. The largest item is a $680,000 replacement for a 25-year-old fire tanker that has required $11,500 in repairs this year alone, funded partly from a $300,000 special stabilization account that will be fully depleted by the purchase. A highway backhoe with more than 10,000 hours and a newly discovered transmission problem was added to the special town meeting warrant at $240,000 — up from a 2024 quote of $220,000 — alongside $100,000 for school server infrastructure that the committee was warned could rise 30 percent if delayed past July 1. Fire Chief John Farrell told the committee the department is "just putting real good money into bad money" on the aging tanker. Roadway paving at $360,000 and pickleball court resurfacing at $26,000 round out the regular town meeting list; the committee meets again March 31 to close the warrant.