Thanks to the Selectmen for discussing the 1835 Town Hall honestly and independently at the April 5th Board of Selectmen meeting.  Although the Selectmen ultimately decided to not decide about the 1835 Town Hall until Town Meeting, it was important to hear their leanings.

Here is some of what they had to say:

John Kilcoyne; Regarding the first Article requesting $610,000 “Number 1 is a little too much too soon, because I don’t think we are ready, grant money is going to be there, I don’t feel like we should approve that one this evening.”
“The $298,000, that at least allows the building to be opened up upstairs as well as downstairs, it solidifies the roof once and for all and it does give more time I am guessing for maybe harder numbers on things like the septic, I don’t think we have a good number on that yet. I know that’s been kicked around a long time. That’s why I am leaning towards that one, to put it in useable form and it does avoid the borrowing and yes, we will have to go back to the well again, but I think we will go back with harder numbers and maybe even some grant money which I think would be a better sell to the voters.”
“I like the partial approach right now on this one”
“Fincom supported the $298,000”

Rich Lane; “Of all of them, I really prefer the $610,000, and the reason, and probably, maybe I am the minority, but I’d like to commit to the building, I think the building is part of the fabric of our town and I’d like to commit to getting the whole thing done and usable as quick as possible and I know Bob (Jones; Chair, 1835 Town Hall Committee) would prefer to go with the $298,000 but my fear is that as a lot of other things happen in this town the rest of it gets kicked down the road, the can gets kicked down the road and pretty soon, we are at the end of our time variance and the school budget is up over 30 million dollars for our assessment and we can’t afford to pay for the 1835 Town Hall and we can’t continue on and the prices go up every year. We saw that with the senior center. Every time we delay a project, the prices go up. I personally feel the voters are all for it.”
“My stand has been lets go all out and fix that building like a postcard like it was before.”
“If it’s built, people will use it”
“My imagination goes wild with the things we could do up there as a community” (Speaking of the Great Hall, Stage and Gallery) “It’s just a real unique space that if it was accessible, people would use it”

Maureen Cranson; I’ll tell you honestly, the only reason I wouldn’t support $610,000 is because I don’t trust those numbers, my question would be how did we get to $610,000 and make that usable from a 2 plus million dollar 5 years ago, that’s the thing that doesn’t really gel with me and I really don’t trust the numbers.”
“The $298,000, I hope that’s a harder number, I really do”
“I think what I hear is what’s it for, what’s the end game, that’s what I hear”

You can watch the Selectmen Meeting here