Orleans Fire Rescue Building Committee elects chair, sets biweekly meeting schedule

ORLEANS — July 14, 2025 — Orleans Fire Rescue Building Committee holds inaugural meeting, elects leadership, and moves forward on contractor search. The nine-member committee, established by the Select Board to guide design and construction of a new fire rescue station, unanimously elected David Little as chair and Peter Cunningham as vice chair at its July 14 organizational meeting. Special town counsel Karis North of Murphy Hesse Toomey and Lehane warned members that all deliberations must occur in public session under the Open Meeting Law — barring even informal emails or casual conversations between members — while procurement specialist Cliff Rhodes outlined the qualifications-based Request for Qualifications process required under state law for projects exceeding $1.5 million. Special Projects Manager Mike Sletro reported that seven firms attended an optional July 14 site visit at the existing fire station, with the RFQ submission window closing August 1. The committee voted unanimously to meet every other Monday at 5:15 p.m. beginning July 21, with the first meeting planned to include a review of prior feasibility study materials and a public site visit to the station. Orleans resident Tom Finan urged the committee to place on a future agenda an item pressing the Select Board to meet urgently with the Nauset Regional School Committee, which he said has already invited town officials to discuss siting the new station on the middle school's ball field facing Eldredge Parkway.