The Selectmen voted Jan. 20 to award the design contract for a municipal fuel depot to Webb Engineering of Scituate, Mass., after reviewing five proposals and discussing scope, price and siting concerns.

Town staff told the board that Webb’s proposal covers schematic mechanical and structural design, fencing, traffic protection, schematic electrical design, overfill protection, anti-siphon features, secondary containment and spill prevention. The town administrator said the Webb proposal does not include fire suppression design. Webb’s initial scope was reported around $15,000, lower than several larger firms that quoted $24,500–$25,000 for their scopes.

Selectmen and staff emphasized that siting could materially change costs because of required utility extensions (gas line for a generator, electrical service, paving) and potential conservation constraints. To address those site-specific questions, the town scheduled a stakeholder meeting for Feb. 11 at the transfer station; participants will include the Department of Public Works, the police department and the fire department — the three departments expected to use the depot.

Why it matters: The depot will centralize fuel access for emergency and public works vehicles; early engineering work will define spatial requirements, environmental protections and a more complete cost estimate. Selectmen noted the importance of evaluating locations for cost-efficiency before final design and construction decisions.

What’s next: Webb Engineering will proceed with the initial design work and the Feb. 11 on-site stakeholder meeting will review layout, required gas and electrical runs, generator siting and paving needs. Follow-up design tasks and any request for additional services will be scheduled if required.

Ending: The board authorized contract execution; staff will return updates to the selectmen as site work and further design tasks proceed.