WOOLWICH

Now that voters have approved in concept a $300,000 renovation to the municipal building, they only have to weigh in one more time. During a special town meeting yet to be announced, they will consider a bond issue for the project.

Residents chose the “plan B” option — suggested by the selectboard — for the municipal building during Wednesday night’s well-attended annual town meeting at Woolwich Central School. They nixed a $1.3 million plan, recommended by the Building Committee, that would have made more elaborate renovations to the building that is shared by town office workers, the fire department and emergency services.

Selectboard Chairman David King told the audience that a 10-year bond at 3.7 percent would amount to an annual payment of about $35,000 and would have little effect on taxes.

Voters defeated an amendment to delay the bond vote until next year’s annual town meeting.

“I would oppose that because of the cost of funding,” King said. “Putting it off is only going to cost us more money.”

Resident Mike Ware has donated his time to provide drawings for the proposed addition, which would include expanded office space with a basement, an elevator to the second-floor meeting room and handicapped-accessible bathrooms. The state has put the town on notice that the municipal building must be brought up to code.

Prior to the vote on the $1.3 million option, Building Committee member Dana Lindsey spoke. Lindsey and others on the committee, formed last July to study options for the building, have been unhappy that the selectboard has denied its recommendations. Those include an option to purchase a piece of nearby land and build a new town office on it.

“The Building Committee has had zero input on this (plan B) proposal and does not support it,” Lindsey said. “The Building Committee supports a stand-alone building. It’s been a grueling process. The Building Committee has had its three strikes and it is out, thank you.”

King and Selectman Jason Shaw both thanked the committee for its efforts. Shaw added, however, that the committee never explained what should be done with the existing building should a new one be built.

“It seemed like we were being told that we could walk away from it,” Shaw said.

For much of the meeting, there was back-and-forth regarding expenses — mostly for Patten Free Library of Bath but also for town employees. One night after Phippsburg residents declined funding for the library, Woolwich voters favored it — but not without strenuous opposition.

As soon as moderator John Chapman read Article 19 to appropriate $49,203 for the library, Don Adams amended it to fund half that amount. Chapman got support from a man in the back of the gymnasium, who asked how many people in town actually use the facility.

King said there are 1,295 active card holders in a town of 3,000. The man in the back of the gym replied that it is a lot of money to spend for 1,295 people.

Another man argued that the use of computers alone makes it worthwhile, but the man in back replied, “I can do that at home.”

A woman who supported the article pointed out that it’s an “all-or-nothing” thing as far as the library is concerned — if a town doesn’t come up with the entire amount requested, the contribution is not recognized. Chapman’s amendment then was defeated.

lgrard@timesrecord.com