In a majority vote Friday night, the Wiscasset Budget Committee decided to recommend voters approve a $1.7 million energy project for the school department. The vote ran 4-2-1, with member John Merry, the school department’s facilities and transportation director, abstaining.

School Committee Chairman Michael Dunn said afterward, the outcome was what he hoped it would be, and better than he thought it might be. During the meeting, he and Superintendent of Schools Heather Wilmot described uncomfortable conditions for students and staff, including cold classrooms. There are teachers who bring blankets to school to wrap their legs in, Wilmot said. Students want to wear their jackets in class and sometimes have been told they can’t, Dunn said.

He and Merry said the project with Siemens of Scarborough will be cheaper than all the changes would cost otherwise, and will mean comfortable conditions for the people who are in the buildings every day. “They’ll be warm. They won’t be sitting next to something that’s blowing cold air on them,” Dunn said.

Member Bryan Buck wondered what the impact on students would be if the new LED lights go in this spring in order to meet deadlines for about $90,000 in one-time rebates.

“That’s a really great question,” Wilmot said. She said when Siemens does school projects, the company avoids interrupting classes by working weekends and other times the classrooms are empty.

Buck questioned the replacement of a furnace at the central office as part of the project. It’s original to the 1980s building, Merry said.

Committee Chairman Bob Blagden said there is no reason the office couldn’t be moved into one of the schools. Wilmot said she would rather use school space to expand programming as she works to increase enrollment, including a proposal she planned to talk with the school committee about Jan. 26. “Wiscasset is desirable and people are looking at us because we’re doing some exciting things in our programs.”

Blagden suggested the department make budget cuts to fund the projected $69,500 annual cost to the town on a 16-year loan. He also brought up last year’s 14-percent property tax hike and said the town doesn’t have the money to do projects that are really needed because it has spent based on wants. “There’s just no money left to do anything when all the fluff gets paid for. I’m not saying in this (project), but town-wide, there’s just so much money spent on things ... people don’t need ...”

Blagden voted in the majority. Asked afterward what made the difference for him, he said, “At least most of the things in this project are things that are really necessary.” He would have liked to pick apart the project and remove some things, he said. “But this is what’s in front of us.”

Dunn and Wilmot, in an interview and directly to the budget committee earlier, praised the panel for the time it took gathering information — before and during the meeting — on which to base its recommendation.

Wilmot answered the panel’s written questions in advance, including stating the project’s budget has no contingency; the contract price with Siemens is fixed and firm, she wrote; in addition, she and Merry met with committee secretary Fred Quivey. During the meeting, members had several more questions. One regarded a comment at a recent selectmen’s meeting that a citizens’ petition may be seeking the closure of one of the town’s two remaining schools.

Committee members questioned doing a project if one of the buildings might closed. Merry said a building’s loss would cut the energy savings the project yields. Wilmot added closing a school is a long process and, she noted at another point, with the lease-purchase deal the department has been planning, the bank, not the town, takes on the risk of the loan. If the town goes with a bond, the risk is on the town, she said.

The current offer she has for an interest rate on the loan is 3.35 percent, and she is still working to get the town the best deal. she said. She’s also going to make sure the work meets expectations, she told the committee. “I’m tenacious. So if there’s something that doesn’t meet expectations, I’m going to be tenacious about that.”

Town Manager Marian Anderson said the committee’s recommendation will appear on the ballot selectmen send to a town vote. Selectmen have not set a date.