Westerlo is in a pickle.

The town’s highway garage has been neglected for so long that most people think it needs to be replaced. Town court is held in the building and, years ago, the judges told us that, when it rained, they had to put out buckets in the midst of court sessions, to catch the leaking water.

A stopgap roof repair this year cost $12,000 — money that could have been better spent if proper planning had taken place earlier.

Last year, the town board went about its plans for replacing the garage and renovating the town hall in such a way that it alienated many residents.  Town board members, acting as a building committee, met with engineers illegally — the meeting wasn’t posted as the state’s Open Meeting Law requires.

Citizens were upset over both the lack of transparency and the high ceiling price for the building project — up to $2.75 million. It would have cost the average resident $100 annually for the life of the bond. They petitioned for a referendum and the project was defeated in a landslide.

Soon after, the Republicans in a town where they are outnumbered by Democrats, 4 to 1, put up the first full slate of board candidates in memory. One of GOP candidates, Councilwoman Amie Burnside, won a seat on the board, ousting the Democratic incumbent.

This should have sent a clear signal to the board — citizens were unhappy with the process that led to the last building-project proposal. The multi-million-dollar plan included renovating the town hall to accommodate State Troopers and the Westerlo court as well as building a new highway garage.

But, instead, the town board is proceeding with the same engineering firm and another building committee, made up again only of the town board members. Worse still, the board members, acting as a committee, have heard among the options described by the town attorney that they could circumvent a public referendum by pricing the project out in pieces, with costs lower than what would trigger another permissive referendum.

This would be a slap in the face to the residents who turned out to vote down the original project. The permissive referendum acts as a safety valve when citizens can’t trust the leaders that were elected to represent them.

The town hall that is to be updated was built as a school. In 2010, again with a referendum, the residents of Westerlo supported buying the closed school from the Berne-Knox-Westerlo district for $145,000 to be their town hall.

The town board should seek willing and informed residents, some with expertise in construction and building repair, others with financial expertise, to serve on a committee that would chart a meaningful and long-range plan for town buildings.

Including the public could improve the plan as well as engendering support from the people who will have to fund it — the taxpayers.

“I myself have no problem with someone to come on,” said Burnside at a recent meeting when asked about allowing residents on the committee. Other board members shouldn’t have a problem with that either.

Informed citizens involved in the process will produce a better plan, and one that is more likely to pass.

Once a plan is decided upon — in meetings open to the public — the work, including that of an engineering company, should be put out for diverse companies to apply. This is the best way to get a fair price.

If the public trusts the process, a referendum may not even be necessary.

Most importantly, a long-term plan will bode well for the future. The nearby town of Knox saved for years to expand its town hall so that, when the time came, the town could afford it without undue burden on its citizens.

“It seems that no one wants to acknowledge the fact that, in order to repair this building, it’s going to cost money. It’s going to cost a lot of money,” Councilman William Bichteman said at a meeting earlier this month.

We’re well aware building construction and repair costs money. But we also know that the town is more likely to get that money — and maybe even reduce costs — if it allows citizens to be part of the process.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer