BEMUS POINT – Ellery Town Board members are discussing the possibility of building a new town hall.

While the plan is not yet set in stone, a resolution was approved by board members recently that will allow the town to begin calculating precise costs. Discussions have begun in the town on whether or not to go forward with the construction of a new town hall building.

Larry Anderson, town supervisor, said it is something that he has been looking into for quite some time now. Anderson said that the board members allocated a significant amount of funding toward repairs for the current town hall about one year ago. During these updates and repairs, Anderson noted that there were numerous higher level problems that would have to be addressed eventually. Specifically, Anderson said that the structure of the building is currently failing, alongside numerous other more minor, yet still necessary, repairs. Anderson stated that this has led the board member to consider if it is really worth it to continue dumping money into this building, or if it is better to have a completely fresh start.

Anderson mentioned that this would also be an opportunity to consolidate the town’s buildings potentially. Anderson stated that the town owns a property next to the Ellery Town Park in Greenhurst, the former location of an old restaurant that was torn down. Due to the close proximity of this location to the park, and to the nearby highway building, Anderson stated that this would likely be the location of a new building, should the town move forward.

At the board’s most recent meeting, members further discussed where they are at in the planning stages. Anderson noted that the town currently has about two-thirds of the required funding for the project. For the remaining portions that have not been covered, the town would likely need to look into financing the remaining portion. Town attorney Neil Robinson stated that this could be in the form of a five year bond anticipation note, serial bonds, or even a standard mortgage. Anderson did note that the town would continue to search for eligible grants, which would go toward paying back on any borrowed amount. Additionally, the town will likely look into selling the old town hall building should this plan move forward, said Anderson. This money would be put into the building fund, which would also be put toward paying off any borrowed amount, according to Anderson.

The meeting also saw Anderson express interest in proceeding with gathering an estimate for the remaining amount of funds that the town would need for this project. Robinson would mention to the board that in order for the town to begin looking into official estimates, the town officials would need to advertise for bids from contractors. Even if the town is advertising for bids it does not mean that town officials are required to accept, or move forward with, any of them, said Robinson. While the town has a rough idea of what the project will ultimately cost, officials need to find a more specific amount to move forward. As a result of this, Councilman Dave Boughton made a motion, which was seconded by Councilman John Cresanti, for the town to begin advertising for bids on the project. The next step in the project is to take the motion to the architect who will begin helping the town search for contractors and bids.