Capital panel backs $220,000 for safety, school fixes
Other Committee · Meeting of September 18, 2026
Westford Capital Planning Committee backs $220,000 in special town meeting requests, tables a costly HVAC rental fix. The committee voted 9-1 to recommend $120,000 to replace a 20-year-old fire alarm digitizer that has failed four times since May, plus $100,000 for a failing 1968 Robinson School generator now running on one cylinder for "about 15 minutes before it shuts off," per Director of Facilities Jeff Goodwin. Members tabled, 10-0, a roughly $35,000-a-month temporary cooling rental for the Westford Academy auditorium after its HVAC unit failed in late August, with member Tom Laflamme saying he didn't "have enough information... to make a recommendation at this time." A full HVAC replacement could run north of $1 million, and a $24.5 million bond for Academy-wide HVAC work would cost about $1.8 million a year, officials said.
The committee also welcomed new member Elizabeth Sawyer and thanked outgoing member Kristen after three and a half years.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,486 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of September 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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