The next step will be a special election, where voters can again weigh in on the proposal for the 15-year debt exclusion.
The Town Office Building/Police Station at 110 Main St. in Monson that was condemned after it took a direct hit from the June 1, 2011 tornado.MONSON — Voters at Monday's annual Town Meeting approved borrowing $3.4 million for a new police station-town office building at 110 Main St. — twice.
The first vote, which came after 10 p.m., was not heard by everyone in the auditorium at Granite Valley Middle School.
They thought a vote to "move the question" forward was a vote for the project, and between 20 and 30 people could be seen filtering out of the room as the vote was being taken. A few residents were yelling not to leave, saying, "We didn't vote!"
Historical Commission Chairman Dennis Swierad went up to Town Moderator Richard E. Guertin and said, "All these people have left. How legal is this? Give me a break. Say something."
Guertin said that article 18 — the article on the new town offices/police station — would be revoted.
"There seems to be confusion," Guertin told the crowd.
The final vote was 282 yes, and 22 no. A hand count was taken.
The project is still not a done deal.
The next step in the process is to have a vote at a special election, expected to be held sometime in June, to approve the funding. There, voters will have their final say on authorizing a 15-year debt exclusion for $3.4 million. A debt exclusion raises taxes only for the life of a project.
The Town Meeting vote was preceded by a lengthy presentation by Town Administrator
Gretchen E. Neggers, who explained the problems with the current condemned Town Office and Police Station at 110 Main St., and why Hillside School, where town offices relocated, cannot be used long-term.
The police operate out of six temporary trailers behind 110 Main St., which took a direct hit from the June 1 tornado. Neggers said 75 percent of the roof was torn off by the twister. Water leaks have buckled the wood floor. Mold is a problem, she said.
"This is about the tornado. But not for the tornado, we wouldn't be sitting here tonight having this discussion ... It's just something that happened and we're trying to make the best of it," Neggers said.
At the end of her presentation, she was met with a round of applause.
The article generated the most discussion. James Hoffman, of Bumstead Road, said he is on a fixed income, but believes "it is time for people of Monson to dig deep in their pockets" and approve the article.
Selectman Edward S. Harrison spoke about the $59,000 in energy savings a new building would generate.
Critics said they wanted to see actual renderings of the new building being proposed, and asked why it couldn't be built smaller. Another resident called 110 Main St. a piece of history that will be gone forever.
The proposal calls for the construction of a 26,000-square-foot facility. The building at 110 Main St. is 31,000-square-feet.
The tax impact for the average home valued at $220,000 is expected to be approximately $100 the first year.
Combining a savings from the refinancing of the Monson High School construction debt, the actual cost to the average homeowner is expected to be approximately $40 the first year, according to information provided.
The total project cost is $10.3 million, but insurance will contribute $6.9 million.
Neggers explained that the town offices cannot stay at Hillside School on Thompson Street, as it too needs repairs. There is a termite problem, and mold issues, Neggers said. The school was built in 1955, and the basement is home to numerous feral cats.
Of the 5,630 registered voters in the town of Monson, 422 of them turned out for the annual Town Meeting.
The meeting got under way a half hour late, to allow latecomers a chance to get inside the auditorium.