By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO – This month’s Special Town Meeting could decide the fate of the Casco Memorial School.

The Casco Board of Selectmen agreed to put on the town meeting agenda a straw poll — for residents to provide a price range for repairing the building that has been unoccupied for the past few years.

On Dec. 27, board members questioned whether or not taxpayers would support spending money on the Memorial School — either to repair the roof and gut the building or to demolish the structure and build on a smaller foundation. The school would be the site for the Casco Town Office, which is currently located in cramped quarters behind the Casco Fire and Rescue Station.

Selectman Ray Grant suggested using a straw poll (or non-binding vote) to get an idea of how much money people would be willing to allocate toward the construction project.

Town Manager Dave Morton recommended an option if the town’s residents were unwilling to attach a fiscal note to make the school building usable again. He talked about handing over the structure to the local fire department for trainings.

The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14, which falls on a Saturday, according to Morton.

Other warrant items include giving a break to active military service personnel who register vehicles with the Town of Casco, and the adoption of an animal-control ordinance.

Also, residents will vote on whether or not to replace money in the firefighters’ stipend fund.

By law, the selectmen must get town meeting approval in order to sell a small parcel located on Route 302. An up-and-coming business would like to use the space as an overflow parking lot. That issue will appear as a warrant item, too.