NEW GLOUCESTER – Selectmen on Monday signed a special town meeting warrant to seek voter approval to lease town land to the New Gloucester Historical Society for a history barn.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at Memorial School on Route 231.

The barn will house the society’s collection of artifacts and papers for safe storage and display. The collection is scattered in private homes and barns throughout the town.

The proposed site is behind the Town Hall and known as the “stable.” The society will demolish the structure to make way for the barn.

The ground lease runs for 75 years at an annual base rent of $1 per year. After 75 years an extension is possible if both parties agree.

The lease document covers specific areas including improvements; taxes and assessments, if any; permitted use and compliance with laws and the operation of the business. Also addressed are repairs and maintenance, alterations and improvements, signs, utilities and tenant’s insurance and other provisions.

If voters approve the lease, the society is required to go before the town’s planning board for approvals.

Nancy Wilcox, society president, made a donation to defray a portion of the building’s cost. A capital campaign will be launched to raise the remaining funds.

In other business, the board named Mark A. Patterson to a one-year term on the Budget Committee.

Also, people are required to license their dogs by Jan. 30 at the Town Hall or face paying extra fees on Feb. 2 when an additional $15 per day will be charged to register dogs.

The cost to register is $6 for spayed or neutered dogs and $11 for non-neutered dogs to register without penalty.