With Town Meeting set to open Monday, officials last week took a final look at the potentially controversial items, discussing the reasons behind a $375,000 structural study of several town buildings, a $5.9 million capital appropriation for energy upgrades, and the need for a $85,000-a-year facilities manager in the fiscal 2013 budget.

The $375,000 structural study, to be paid for out of the town's capital plan, aims to review several town buildings and make plans for long-term use.

That plan could include not only the potential cost of repairs to buildings, but the possibility of moving Town Hall into the aging Gates Middle School, and building a new school in the current space of Town Hall.

The study would also look at the police and fire stations and the senior center, and could shift the sites of town operations.

According to Town Administrator Patricia Vinchesi, the study money would go toward building surveys, site analysis, appraisals, and cost estimates. It would also look at the potential reuse of properties and the town's programming needs.

"It's to make progress on whether or not this is doable,'' said Selectman Tony Vegnani during the Board of Selectmen's meeting. "We don't want to wait several years or decades to see if this progress is going to be in place. We want to see by next Town Meeting. . . if it will work. [We want to] get design and schematics and engineering done on different aspects.''

Officials maintain that this is a starting point for a shift that may require more money as things progress.

Regardless, the idea has long been kicked around in town, and officials think it's time to get input from the community.

"If this gets voted down, we'll be stopping this process,'' Vegnani said.

The town is also seeking a $5.9 million appropriation from the capital budget for energy upgrades under the new Energy Savings Contract, a plan the town initially signed on to in 2011.

Phase 1 promised the engineering firm Ameresco Inc. $33,000 for an energy audit or a contract to do upgrades. Now, the town has a list of more than 300 proposed projects that guarantee a positive rate of return.

If the projects don't save the town the promised money, the firm is contractually obligated to pay the town the difference.

The idea is to have an evolving list of projects that would take anywhere from 5 to 7 years to complete. The town is looking to initially spend up to $2 million on a group of energy upgrade projects, but have the full amount available once the future of other town buildings comes clear.

If "the townspeople want to fix the town and school buildings, then they have to go in this direction. If they want the buildings to go downhill and cost more in the long run, they can vote no,'' Selectman Joseph Norton said. "We all know the buildings are in deplorable conditions, perhaps with safety issues for the children in this town, [so we] have to do this project.''

Although initially funded by the capital plan, the funding would be paid back through rebates from energy suppliers and from direct savings as a result of newly installed equipment.

Additionally, nearly a third of the changes (such as roof replacements, boiler, and fan coil replacements) are required as a part of ongoing maintenance needs of several buildings.

Buildings being examined in the structural study were not included in the energy-saving project list.

Finally, town officials are hoping to get a $85,000-a-year facilities manager position approved within the budget for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1. At last year's Special Town Meeting, an attempt to get the position funded for half a year failed. Vinchesi said she considers it a vital position to the town's well being.

"We cut other municipal dept requests to make this our number 1 priority,'' Vinchesi said. "It's the linchpin to everything we're doing going forward.''

Vinchesi said the town needs someone who can look after the numerous energy initiatives, the development of the Community Center, Community Preservation Committee projects, betterments, and the general welfare of town buildings.

With 55 town buildings and over $150 million in assets, it's a position that can no longer go unfilled, she said.