Article 17 is on the books, and soon it will be time to get going on schematic design plans for renovation of Town Hall and Hildreth House. Selectmen would do well to heed the warnings of a former selectman who recently recounted his experience as selectman during stages of development of the Public Safety Building, as he watched costs spiral up and results fall short of expectations.

Much of the outcome will be determined by the quality of professionals hired to do the work, but it will also be largely determined by the experience and the commitment of those chosen to guide the work. We have come to expect a level of professionalism, thoroughness, and commitment that is by no means normal. Municipal Buildings Committee members donated thousands of hours bringing the projects to this point. Had we been paying market rates for all the work to date, we would have spent at least five to ten times the less-than-$70,000 actually spent.

This leverage can continue, as we spend the next $185,000, but it will not happen automatically. We hope the Board of Selectmen will proceed very carefully as it selects and charges the next committee, making sure that not only the best and brightest are chosen, but that they are given the support they will need to guide the work successfully.