With voters set to decide this spring whether to allow the sale of beer and wine at West Tisbury restaurants, the town selectmen began work this week on potential new rules and regulations for issuing licenses.

Selectman and board chairman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd said at the weekly board meeting Wednesday that the goal was to have a set of draft regulations and present them at a public forum, which has not been scheduled yet.

“We need to put a draft together and then we will have a session inviting everyone to come,” he said. “This is going to be an ongoing working session for us.”

Voters will decide the beer and wine issue in town through a ballot question at the annual town election on April 14. At the annual town meeting last April, voters agreed to back an initiative to petition the state legislature for a home rule amendment. First proposed by the owners of State Road Restaurant, the Lambert’s Cove Inn and the Plane View Restaurant, the amendment introduces the possibility of beer and wine sales to the town. The home rule petition was signed by Gov. Deval Patrick on Oct. 14 and still needs final approval from voters to become reality.

On Wednesday, selectmen began the lengthy task of sifting through regulations past and present from other towns and highlighting which areas of those regulations they liked and which ones they found cumbersome. They examined regulations in Tisbury and Aquinnah; both towns approved the sale of beer and wine in restaurants two and four years ago, respectively.

Selectman Richard Knabel said he wanted to make sure the regulations were as clear as possible.

“I don’t think regulations should be burdensome to restaurant owners in town,” Mr. Knabel said. “These regulations were passed by two other towns, they have their reasons, but they strike me as being somewhat overkill.”

Mr. Knabel said because the town is only dealing with restaurants and not hotels, some of the provisions in Tisbury and Aquinnah do not apply. Mr. Manter agreed and said he thought more research was needed.

State law permits five beer and wine licenses per 5,000 people, said town administrator Jennifer Rand, which means a maximum of five restaurants could be licensed in West Tisbury.

A separate petitioned article will appear on the annual town meeting warrant asking the town to authorize the selectmen to petition the state legislature for one-day liquor licenses for special events and fundraisers. If the article passes and the legislature approves the measure, voters would have to approve this as a ballot question at next year’s annual town meeting.

In other annual town meeting previews, deferred maintenance on town roads in West Tisbury has added up to a potentially big bill for town taxpayers this year. After some discussion and disagreement last week, the town selectmen agreed to ask voters at the annual town meeting in April to approve borrowing $2.6 million to cover the cost of repairs on nearly every road in town.

Parts or all of New Lane, Tiah’s Cove Road, Lambert’s Cove Road, Middle Road, Scotchman’s Bridge Lane, Old Courthouse Road, Indian Hill Road and Old County Road need repairs, the selectmen learned from the chairman of their capital programs committee.

Committee chairman Kathy Logue warned that with the cost of asphalt “coming up so fast,” the town can’t afford to wait much longer. “That $2.5 million is going to cost close to $5 million in two or three years if we wait,” she said.

After vigorous debate about whether to ask voters for the full amount or a lesser figure of $1.75 million to repave only some of the roads, the selectmen voted 2-1 to place the borrowing request on the warrant with a corresponding ballot question to exclude the debt from Proposition 2 1/2, the state tax cap. If voters reject the $2.5 million on the town meeting floor, the article may be amended to the lower figure. Selectman Cynthia Mitchell advocated giving voters a chance to decide.

“We’ll have a warrant article asking for the entire amount, have a discussion on the town meeting floor and let the voters decide,” she said. “If someone disagrees and wants to reduce it we’ll have the figures ready.”

The town will also request Chapter 90 funds, cash given to town highway departments from the state.

Mr. Manter backed the project, saying that it was needed given the condition of the roads, and that it is a good time to borrow with interest rates so low.

“The inflationary factor is a shocker here, and waiting another five years isn’t going to solve these problems . . . some of these roads are not in the best shape,” he said. “I think it’s a reasonable thing to ask the people.”

But selectman Mr. Knabel, who cast the dissenting vote, said he thought the town should only pave what is needed now.

“I know the cost of asphalt and oil goes up, but it’s also gone down in the past . . . the prediction it will double the cost in some years may be correct, but it’s the roll of the dice and you don’t know,” he said. “I’m concerned about asking for this amount of money in the same year we’re asking for money for the library.”