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Allenstown selectboard agrees to form AES study committee after debate over scope and membership
Summary
Selectboard members voted to form an AES study committee to evaluate whether to renovate, retain, rent or sell the former school building; the board asked staff to produce a clear written scope and deliverables before the committee begins work.
The Allenstown selectboard moved forward with creating a study committee to evaluate options for the AES building — whether to renovate and retain it for town use, pursue commercial rental, or sell the property.
Board members debated committee size and membership at length. A proposed 10-person membership list included a building inspector, a trustee of trust funds, the road agent, representatives from the fire and police departments, one member of the budget committee, one SAU representative (the school unit currently rents space), and three public members. One selectboard member successfully proposed amending the motion to include a sitting selectboard member on the committee.
Several selectboard members and staff urged a clearly written charge — a scope of work, required deliverables and a target date for dissolution — so the committee’s responsibilities would be explicit and efficient. Critics warned that a large committee risks inconsistent interpretations of priorities and that the board should define whether the committee’s output includes cost estimates (construction, ADA upgrades, long-term operating costs), rental-revenue projections and a comparative analysis of selling versus keeping the building.
The board agreed the committee should report back with a written analysis that includes financial implications, anticipated capital improvements (for example ADA-compliant bathrooms) and potential long-term revenue or cost outcomes. Members asked staff to circulate a draft charge and the earlier study materials before a next meeting so committee members can review documents and understand the deliverables at the outset.
