Whitman DPW Committee Approves Nearly $1.5 Million Retainage Payment to Contractor

WHITMAN — August 28, 2025 — Whitman's Public Works Building Projects Committee unanimously approved a $1,489,739.98 retainage payment to contractor Page Building at a special August 28 meeting called specifically to avoid delaying the payment another month. Committee member Richard Anderson said he had "no concerns" after OPM Scott Lubker reviewed and recommended the invoice, Requisition No. 18, noting that sufficient retainage remained to cover any outstanding disputes. Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter flagged that roughly $715,000 in contingency funds remains unspent but warned that leftover bond proceeds face strict legal restrictions, requiring either reuse on a similar capital project or application toward debt reduction — a decision that will rest with the Board of Selectmen. The committee scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Monday, September 29, at 3 p.m. at the new DPW facility, with a separate public open house planned for a later Saturday date.