BETHEL — Selectmen will seek a proposal from a second architect on options for moving the Town Office from Main Street to the former Ethel Bisbee School on Philbrick Street.
At their recent meeting they discussed whether to spend about $9,000 to further study the feasibility of such a move.
The idea was first discussed in late summer, in response to the need to find a new polling place because SAD 44 no longer wishes to provide use of the Crescent Park School gym, and in response to an estimated $100,000 needed to fix the front steps and entrance to the Town Office.
Town officials contacted an architect on possible options at the former school. The options include renovating it and adding a meeting room; razing it and building a new one or replacing it with a modular building.
The $9,000 would pay for a concept drawing and the price for the options, Town Manager Loretta Powers said. Detailed drawings, if the town decided to go ahead, would incur more architect fees, she said.
After discussion, the board decided to request a proposal from another architect before deciding how to proceed.
In other business, selectmen discussed producing new stickers for access to the Tri-Town Transfer Station. They approved a charge of $10 for people obtaining new or replacement stickers. Those with the current stickers could still use them.
The move would also have to be approved by Newry and Hanover, which also use the station.
Bethel officials said the current stickers are difficult for station attendants to spot, so a more visible color/design would be chosen.
Selectmen also discussed the idea of a separate sticker for contractors, but agreed there were too many complicating factors to make a proposal immediately, so they will get more information.
The board also decided to consider the possibility of returning to two regular meetings a month, on a request from Selectman Michele Varuolo Cole, who noted selectmen have needed extra meetings recently.
She said that would still leave the option of canceling the second meeting if it wasn’t warranted any given month.
Chairman Peter Southam said he preferred the opposite approach, scheduling extra meetings as needed.
The board will discuss it at their December meeting.
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