RUMFORD – Selectmen on Thursday voted 3-1 to recommend spending about $828,000 to bring the historic Municipal Building into compliance with requirements mandated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

They also set a special town meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 11 for residents to approve the expenditure and to decide how the work would be funded.

Residents will also be offered the option of spending up to $1.2 million on the project, which would include making additional changes that many believe would serve the century-old building for many years.

If residents don’t approve the project, Office of the State Fire Marshal inspector Steve Dodge said Friday that the Municipal Building could be closed.

The selectmen’s decision followed a nearly 90-minute discussion with several residents who believe the work could be completed for much less money. The decision, too, was different from that of the Municipal Building Committee, which had recommended that the higher figure be approved. The Finance Committee narrowly approved the lower number earlier this week.

Voting to go with the lower figure were Selectman and Building Committee member Mark Belanger, Selectman Arthur Boivin and board Vice Chairman Jolene Lovejoy. Selectman Greg Buccina voted against the motion, and Chairman Jim Rinaldo did not vote because the selectmen’s vote was not a tie.

Town Manager Steve Eldridge said Friday that residents could choose a figure between $828,000 and $1.2 million at the town meeting if a two-thirds majority agrees.

Earlier at Thursday’s meeting, Building Committee Chairman and former Selectman Jim Thibodeau had argued for the $1.2 million project.

“There’s not been a lot done on that building in many years. Our forefathers did for us, so we’d have a good town and a good place to live. We should do the same for our children and not leave with a mess down the road,” he said.

Resident Ron Theriault said he didn’t believe an emergency existed.

“Let’s do the things that have to be done, then if we go further, try to get matching grants,” he said.

Finance Committee member John Perry said he was concerned that it took the fire marshal to prompt work on the Municipal Building.

“Here’s our chance to restore our building and make it safe and not do that in the cheapest way,” he said.

Former Selectman and former Fire Chief Eugene Boivin said the town could come into compliance by spending just $20,000. This would call for closing off the auditorium and Sheetrocking the stairway to the auditorium.

“That would get us to the June town meeting,” he said.

Thibodeau said the town had only recently renovated the hall so it could be used.

“If you shut off the heat, the ceiling will start to fall. We should be proud of our town hall. We should move forward and not regress,” he said.

Boivin also said that when he was fire chief, he prevented the fire marshal from entering the town for 12 years.

“The fire chief has more power than anybody else,” he said.

Current Chief John Woulfe has told town officials that a number of safety issues exist in the Municipal Building.

Until the fire marshal inspection earlier in the year, the stage and auditorium had been used for concerts and performances. Now, the hall can be occupied by no more than 49 people until safety issues have been take care of.

With the $828,000, basic life and safety issues such as construction of additional exits for the first and second floors, installation of handicapped accessible bathrooms, and a myriad of other fire code matters would be addressed.

The $1.2 million project would include all of the basic life and safety issues plus add a new side entrance that would allow elderly and handicapped people to more easily enter the building and move the elevator.