ROCHESTER — Though Selectmen were not legally ready to discuss their $150,000 offer to buy two acres of land for Town Hall from the nearby First Congregational Church of Rochester, the conversation was started and opinions were made known on the matter at an Aug. 17 meeting.

Selectman Woody Hartley initially brought up the topic, and said that it is “unhealthy” to discuss the matter in private session and wanted to discuss it publicly at the meeting. 

“We’re not hiding in executive session,” Hartley said.

Voters at Rochester’s June 22 Town Meeting voted to set aside $160,000 to buy two acres of land from the church and add it onto the land for Town Hall. Though Selectmen did not have plans for how the land will be used, they assured voters that it will be used for the betterment of the town. 

Part of the difficulty of the sale stems from two conflicting assessments by the church and town.

Selectman Brad Morse said the board went above the town’s $125,000 appraisal of the land, and the offer went over the halfway mark between its assessment and the church’s appraisal of $160,000.

Hartley responded that the town’s appraisal was poor. Before discussion on the land acquisition started earlier this year, he asked a local realtor to appraise the lot. Hartley was told it was worth anywhere from $155,000 to $162,000. 

Selectman Brad Morse pointed out that the town also did not receive a formal acceptance or rejection from the church on its offer of $150,000 — $10,000 less than what was expected and appropriated for at Town Meeting in June.

Rather, First Congregational Church of Rochester Board of Trustee member Richard Cutler told Sippican Week that the offer was “not enough.”

At the Aug. 17 meeting, Cutler said the church is still waiting for the offer in writing and will respond back in writing. 

Select Board Chair Paul Ciaburri said the offer same offer still stands and that the town will get it to the church in writing.

As for the offer, Hartley wanted to make it clear that he supported the original sale price.

“I just don’t understand why we’re holding this up for $10,000.” he said.

Ciaburri said back that this could be argued the other way, that the church is the one holding up the deal for $10,000. 

Hartley also argued that the board may never get a chance like this again to invest in the future of the town. 

The deal would expand the Town House’s plot of land by three times its size, and it was overwhelmingly approved at Town Meeting.