CARRABASSETT VALLEY – The additional $130,000 needed to renovate and add to the Outdoor Center was approved along with other articles at Wednesday’s special town meeting.

Some of the 38 voters attending the meeting expressed concerns as to why the additional money was needed, Town Clerk Wendy Russell said Thursday. Following the discussion the article passed 27-5, she said.

The $130,000, Town Manager David Cota said, includes $50,000 for a contingency fund, $55,000 for a skating rink, $7,000 for parking and $18,000 for other improvements.

Voters approved borrowing $1,193,800 at the March town meeting for the project but after opening bids found that the lowest bid was more than the amount left after paying engineer and architect fees.

After seeking potential savings, the board signed a contract with Linwood Doble Inc. of Kingfield for $1,080,700, the amount available for construction from the money approved in March. Doble promised to have the renovations completed by Christmas if the board cut the skating rink and 30 parking spaces, he said.

On Wednesday, a majority voted to spend up to $50,000 on the skating rink under article 4, Russell said.

The funding to be taken from undesignated surplus will only be needed, Cota said, if a grant proposal is not approved. The money will pay for fiberglass dasher boards.

An article to cover transportation expenses from mid-November to Dec. 31 was also approved.

A sum of $25,281 or approximately one quarter of the $101,123 of the town’s expense for the transport system was requested for the service that operates from November to April, he said.

Previously, the town raised the money at the March town meeting, but the with the new service, the Carrabassett “Sugarloaf Express” provided by Western Maine Transportation Inc., the town needed to be prepared to pay for 2007 portion of the service, Cota said.

The town also approved transferring $8,011.12 in revenues received from refinancing bonds for the golf course improvement project to the golf course improvement account and to expend the funds for the project.