MARION — How to deal with the deteriorating condition of the Town House remains a contentious topic -- and an unresolved issue.

That was made clear at a Sept. 20 special Selectmen’s meeting, designed to update residents on town issues. When Town Administrator Paul Dawson suggested that there was a consensus the Town House should remain where it is and be renovated over time, residents reacted with skepticism about that consensus.

Thursday’s statement by Dawson that the town had effectively selected the renovate-over-time option came as a surprise to Vincent Malkoski. 

Malkoski asserted that he was not aware of an official consensus and suggested that Selectmen had voted behind closed doors.

“I wasn’t expecting a decision was made,” he said. “It’s not right. It’s not how you do business.” 

Hills denied that was the case and Dawson reassured the room that the Selectmen had not decided on the renovations among themselves. Hills made reference to a public hearing held on March 1, 2018, which presented both options for the Town House. 

“We came away [from that meeting] with a clear impression that the majority of our residents favor the renovation of our historic Town House,” said the Board of Selectmen in a letter to the residents of Marion. 

Dawson said residents endorsed a renovation option at that meeting and approached him afterwards to advocate for keeping the town house where it is. 

Pushback from residents at the Thursday meeting suggests that some were unaware the option to construct a new Town House was off the table completely.

In May, Town Meeting rejected a $7.9 million proposal to reconstruct the interior of the nineteenth-century Town House. The proposed renovation involved stripping the building to its studs, gutting the interior, and modernizing it. The annex building at the back of the Town House would be completely demolished to make room for additional parking space.

The Town House Building Committee, which made the proposal, presented two other options to the town: build new or renovate over time.

A proposal was made to spend $5.1 million to build a new Town House on the grounds of the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center. The plan focused on designing a modern, efficient office layout to fits the needs of the own departments. The current Town House could be sold to a private developer for preservation, with an option for condominiums. 

The “pay as you go” renovations ensure that the building is maintained and the cost is minimized. The building would first receive emergency repairs and then conduct maintenance to problem areas such as the roof, siding, and windows. 

An article which would have given voters the ability to choose to build a new Town House was removed from the Town Meeting after Selectmen Norm Hills requested the town do so. At a March 20 meeting, Hills read from a prepared statement and expressed his preference to renovate the Town House. 

Following Town Meeting, the only consensus appeared to be that something needed to be done to deal with conditions at the Town House. What? “Back to the drawing board” was an oft-used phrase.

Dawson told residents to stay tuned for an update and to expect more information in the spring.