Capital Panel Updates Stalled Project List

Capital Planning · Meeting of October 28, 2026

HARWICH — The Harwich Capital Outlay Committee reviewed years of stalled capital projects and learned the Brooks Academy renovation may exceed its roughly $2 million budget. Town Administrator Jim Graham said an outside cost estimate puts the project's roof, cupola and brick walkway work "outside of our budget," prompting the town to split bidding into a base bid plus three add-alternates ahead of a November 12 bid opening. The committee approved its September 9 minutes 6-0.

Committee member Kenneth Dixon said the project has felt like "an open checkbook," while members also flagged a placeholder $11 million DPW building figure and $5 million water building figure that Graham called having "no basis in reality whatsoever." Members raised adding funding for turn lanes at Route 124 and Pleasant Lake Road ahead of more than 300 new rental units expected within three years.

In the full story:

• Minutes and Opening
• Prior Projects Status Report
• Several specific articles were discussed in detail
• FY28 Budget Message
• Draft FY28 and Five-Year Capital Plan
• Substantive content and deliberation
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,412 words

Source: the Capital Planning meeting of October 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.