RUMFORD – Selectmen had yet to decide whether to recommend a basic renovation project or one that would update the Municipal Building for many years in the future, despite a lengthy discussion that was continuing late Thursday night.

The town has been directed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal to bring the nearly century-old structure into compliance with fire and safety codes. The plan is to hold a special town meeting next month to learn whether residents want to spend $828,000 for basic renovations, or $1.2 million that would ease access to all three floors of the building as well as bring the building up to codes.

Last September, the fire marshal said that if a plan wasn’t in place by Dec. 11, the town could face closure of the building.

Since that meeting, the board learned that an insufficient amount of time was available to hold all the necessary public hearings before the deadline. Attempts to reach the Office of the State Fire Marshal to learn whether the Dec. 11 deadline could be extended were unsuccessful.

The Municipal Building Committee overwhelmingly recommended that the town go with the $1.2 million price tag, while the Finance Committee earlier in the week narrowly recommended the lower figure.

When residents decide which figure to go with in January, they must also decide how it would be financed at the regular town meeting in June. Options include borrowing funds from the Maine Bond Bank or paying the project all in one tax year which would raise taxes on homes valued at $100,000 between $150 and $200 for that one year.

Among the deficiencies listed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal are an insufficient number of exits, a lack of handicapped accessibility, too few bathrooms, bathrooms that are not handicapped accessible, and an absence of fire walls.