The new West Tisbury police station is in final design stages but needs additional funding to complete construction and bid documents, the town selectmen learned this week. At their meeting Wednesday, the selectmen approved placing an $80,000 warrant article for the November special town meeting to fund the last phase of construction documents, prepare the project for request for proposals and complete the bidding process. Voters will be asked at the annual town meeting in April to pay for the project, planned to be built at the public safety building. The estimated cost is $2.6 million. Architect John Keenan said the advantage to putting the project out to bid before the annual town meeting gives the town “a hard number” for fixed construction costs. The town can put the project out to bid but cannot award a bid until money is appropriated. The project would go out to bid in February 2013 with construction beginning next summer.

Mr. Keenan estimated the building itself will cost about $1.9 million. Design work for the new police department began in 2010. Since then, voters have approved a total of $152,500 to go toward the project.

The selectmen voted 2 to 1 to put the article on the warrant; selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd, who is also a West Tisbury police sergeant, cast the dissenting vote.

In other business, Mill Pond committee chairman Bob Woodruff asked the selectmen to consider an article at the special town meeting that calls for dredging the historic pond. The committee is considering applying for community preservation act funds for the project.

“Ideally we’d like to be on town meeting warrant for a proposal to bring before the town,” he said. “If that’s too soon, so be it, but we’d like to have a real sense of where the support is so we know where we’re heading.”

But board chairman Cynthia Mitchell told Mr. Woodruff a draft scope of work for a watershed study is needed before the board decides on a warrant article. The scope of work will be presented at the Oct. 3 selectmen’s meeting. The warrant for the special town meeting closes Oct. 5.

In other business, highway superintendent Richard Olsen announced the next phase of the townwide paving project. Scotchman’s Bridge Lane will be closed to through traffic today for paving.