ROXBURY – Work could restart within the next two weeks on Roxbury’s new town office and fire station complex on Route 17, Town Clerk Tina Howard said by phone Friday afternoon in Roxbury.

At Thursday night’s 70-minute special town meeting, a majority of the nearly 30 people present authorized selectmen to take out a five-year loan for $125,000 to complete the project, which began a few years ago. A majority also approved a new subdivision ordinance modeled after that of the state, Howard added.

“The meeting went very well,” Howard said. “The people who came were very respectful and, they asked a lot of very intelligent, well thought-out questions.”

After electing Michael Breton to be the moderator, a lengthy discussion ensued on Article 2, which asked the town to take out a loan to finish building the new municipal complex at 1095 Roxbury Road (Route 17) at the site of the former Precision Metals building. Voters approved the article by a tally of 18 to 5.

Interest on the loan through Franklin Savings Bank will compound daily at $20.49, Howard said. Over five years, that totals $37,394.25, which the town will pay off on a monthly basis. Additionally, on November 1 for the next five years, the town will pay $25,000 toward the principal.

The town has an option to apply to the Maine Municipal Association bond bank for a loan at reduced interest rates to cover the FSB loan, then repay MMA, Howard said. They missed the deadline to do that initially and now must wait until this fall to apply.

Regarding Article 3, which asked voters to enact a subdivision ordinance that sets the minimum lot size at 5 acres instead of the state’s half acre, Howard said former selectman Douten “Dan” Thomas motioned to pass over the article. It failed by a vote of 12 yes, 13 no. After more discussion, the ordinance was approved as written by a vote of 16-9.

Thomas objected, Howard said, because he doubted that selectmen held what he believes are the required two public hearings on the new ordinance.

Only one selectman, Alan Hodgkins, along with Thomas and his wife showed up for the second informational meeting, which Hodgkins then canceled, Thomas said when contacted by phone earlier on Friday.

“We got to the meeting last night, and we said Alan canceled (the hearing) and he lied (Thursday) and said, ‘Yes, we had it,’ I believe this has got to be re-voted, because I don’t think it can be legally voted without having held public hearings,” Thomas said.

Howard, however, defended Hodgkins, a relative.

“It doesn’t matter if Alan might have made a mistake last night and the meeting was actually canceled. There’s nothing illegal about it. It was posted for two weeks that we were having public informational meetings,” she said.

Thomas, however, steadfastly maintains that Thursday night’s vote was illegal, and has sought help from an attorney and contacted Selectman Deb Deroche to look into the matter. Hodgkins could not be reached for comment on Friday.