BOS Refusal to Pay $600 Fire Station Bill Puts Builder at Risk of Financial Collapse

After spending $5.5 million for a new fire station, the Board of Selectman really put the screws to the builder by declining a bill for $600 to fix the pavement so Ladder 1 could leave the station. “This really puts our business in jeopardy” says A.P. Whitaker, owner of the company who built the station. He did a quick calculation on his blackberry showing that the $600 was equal to 1/10th of one percent of the total project cost. “That’s too much for us to absorb...and frankly it’s really not our fault that the truck couldn't leave the station.” He then added, “If someone builds you a garage, is it their fault if your Chevy Suburban won’t fit? I think not.” He says he doesn’t mind the public scolding but would prefer not to have his company's future compromised over this.