After Town Meeting voters rejected officials' proposal to sell the Old Southworth Library last June, town representatives are seeking a use for the building.

The building could cost up to $250,000 to repair, update to code, and repurpose said Town Administrator David Cressman at the May 22 Select Board meeting.

The board voted to create a subcommittee to research potential uses for the building. The committee will consist of a Finance Committee member, a Historical Commission member, a representative from the Padanaram Business Association, and two residents, board members said.

"I don't want this building to go the way of Gidley School," said Cressman. "The longer the building sits vacant, the faster it's going to deteriorate."

Cressman said the cost of the preserving the building ranges from $37,000 to $80,000. The building currently needs a roof repair due to issues surrounding the chimney, he added. Then, the building would need to be brought up to current code regulations, which include handicap accessibility. That would cost up to $175,000 more, he said.

Selectman Stan Mickelson opposed spending money on the building, except in the case of an emergency. He said he'd rather let a new owner pay upgrade costs.

If the roof is leaking, we should fix the roof, said Select Board chair Frank Gracie. He too opposed repurposing and remodeling the building until its purpose was defined.

Selectman John Haran agreed. "We should make it weather-tight," he said, noting that such updates would maintain the building's value.

Cressman said that no town department has stepped forward with a need for the building, nor the budget to fund its use. He suggested asking the Town Meeting voters who had opposed selling the building last June for ideas.

Town officials had suggested selling the Russells Mills Library at one point, but the opposition had ideas that had saved the building, he explained.

Select Board members warned that the Old Southworth Library should be dealt with as soon as possible, with a thought-out plan in place.

"[Gidley School] ended up costing us more in the long run," said Gracie. Pre-demolition, the school had cost the town more than $20,000 each year, was susceptible to trespassers, and created a liability, officials said.

Last June, voters rejected selling the old library, fearing that the architectural and historical significance of the property could be compromised if it were sold. In October 2015, the building was valued at $224,000 by town assessors.

The property has been vacant since last summer, when the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust relocated from the Elm Street building to its current Chase Road location.