West Tisbury selectmen last week decided to race the bureaucratic clock to clean up the Mill Pond.

Selectmen will file for funding approval by the Oct. 31 deadline and will place a warrant article before a special town meeting to be called next month in order to begin construction work late next summer, if voters and regulators approve the project.

The board approved a warrant that will include funding both phases of the project, an estimated $50,000 for permitting and $100,000 for actual construction slated for August or September 2008 and for ongoing maintenance.

As board members contested strategy, timing and a proliferating number of town boards weighing in on the project, resident Robert Day told the selectmen: “You have a short window of time. . . there is energy and voter consensus for this project, but the process is slow. You don’t want to lose momentum.”

A special town meeting is now set for Nov. 27.

The project requires voter approval, a bid process for a consulting firm to handle the permitting process, development of a detailed plan for town and state regulators to use for permitting, and bidding for a contractor to do the work.

Community Preservation Act funds are targeted to pay for the work, and the money already has been recommended by the Community Preservation Committee. Under the state Community Preservation Act, Massachusetts matches funds raised by local tax revenues for the preservation of historic places, open spaces and to fund community housing by towns. Mill Pond cleanup qualifies under the open space component of the act and is the only open space request currently on the horizon, committee chairman Caroline Locke said.

In other business last week selectmen welcomed town principal assessor Christina West to her new position. Also, the board heard an explanation of parking violation fee options from county parking clerk Carol Grant, who has been visiting Island towns considering increases.