PERU – Several members of the Families and Crisis Task Force, an organization that provides food assistance and referral services to the elderly and families in need, came to Monday night’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen to voice their concerns about new guidelines for use of the Rockemeka Grange Hall.

They were especially anxious about one guideline passed by the board that requires regular tenants to cover the operational costs over and above the amount of money budgeted for running the century-old building.

In past years, the Task Force, along with a small number of other charitable and non-profit organizations, were able to use the grange hall for meetings and functions without paying rent to the town. The rise in heating oil costs and other budget concerns among Peru’s selectmen led them to adopt the new guidelines.

Peggy Turner, who is on the board of directors for the Task Force, said she was unhappy about the level of communication between selectmen and her organization because she had not been notified that there would be a change in policy. Furthermore, she said there was a serious problem with the new agreement put before the Task Force.

“We cannot sign an open agreement with the town of Peru,” said Turner. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, and there is no specific amount we are agreeing to.”

Turner added that a lawyer had told her that a nonprofit organization should not enter into an open-ended contract because it makes budgeting for other activities nearly impossible.

The town warrant for 2004, which will be voted on at Peru’s Town Meeting in March, has a recommended figure of $3,500 for operational costs associated with the building. That is an increase of $1,000 over the amount raised for 2003, but still less than the $3,900 in expenditures for last year.

Several selectmen, including Andy St. Pierre, said that the main purpose for the new guidelines was to emphasize the importance of keeping costs down. “We’re trying to control our costs as best we can,” said St. Pierre. “We have to answer to the town. I can’t go to the town and ask for an undisclosed amount of money.”

Selectman Jim Pulsifer added that since the board did not feel it could recommend more than the $3,500 for maintenance costs, there were really only two choices; either adopt the new guidelines or close the hall after funds run out.

“We put out a budget we think is reasonable for running that building,” said Pulsifer. “But we had to address what happens if we run out of money. We don’t want to be put in a spot like we were last year.”

The Peru Historical Society, the only other group that is currently a regular tenant of the hall, has signed the agreement.