Unable to arrive at a consensus, Oak Bluffs selectmen put off a decision this week on whether to ask voters for another $1.3 million to build a new town hall at an upcoming special town meeting.

After construction bids came in over budget for a second time this month, the town hall building committee has formally asked the selectmen to put an article on the Nov. 13 special town meeting warrant seeking the additional funds.

Voters approved spending $7.8 million for the project at the annual town meeting last spring, but with the low bid now standing at $9.22 million even after a round of design changes to cut costs, another $1.3 million is needed. Town hall building committee chairman Bill McGrath told selectmen Tuesday that the low bid will be held until Nov. 14.

Selectman Brian Packish opposed putting the issue before voters at a special town meeting.

“Even really loud advocates for this project have said that it’s inappropriate for it to be on a special town meeting [warrant],” he said. “It’s an extremely limited pool of voters,” he said. “Nobody would run a project this far over budget without pumping the brakes, and there’s been no pumping of the brakes.”

But selectman Greg Coogan said if the warrant article is delayed until the annual town meeting, the project would have to be rebid for a third time and the cost would almost certainly go up.

“Really the question here is, do we ask the voters in November. Will we give them the right to weigh in on this and say to us yes, spend the extra $1.3 million, or no, don’t do it. Our job is, should we put this out to the voters,” Mr. Coogan said.

In the end selectmen took no action. If they do decide to put the article on the warrant, they will need to vote at their next meeting on Oct. 9 in order to meet the publication deadline.

In other business Tuesday, the board heard a presentation about a newly completed draft report on the need for additional wastewater treatment capacity. The draft report is the first phase of a three-phase comprehensive plan to manage growth in wastewater treatment and disposal over the next 20 years.

Mark Drainville, a civil engineer from the Hyannis based company GHD, told selectmen the current wastewater plant on Pennsylvania avenue will soon be outdated.

“This facility is near its design life,” Mr. Drainville said. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to stop operating, but it’s aging out. Equipment is primarily designed to last 20 years, and a lot of that equipment is approaching 20 years at this point. It’s approaching it’s design capacity, also.”

Currently only limited capacity wastewater permits are issued by the town wastewater commission because the plant cannot handle larger increases in flow.

Mr. Drainville estimated that the current permitted flow of 244,000 gallons per day could increase to 896,000 gallons per day over the next 20 years.

The needed future capacity could take the form of expansion of the sewer system, alternative wastewater treatment measures or some combination of both, he said.

While the design and cost of the new system will not be determined until phase three of the project, scheduled for the end of 2019, selectman Gail Barmakian, who also sits on the wastewater commission, said the cost will be high.

“The decision is going to be made for a variety of reasons, and one of them is the financials and where you get the biggest bank for your buck,” Ms. Barmakian said. “It’s a big number. You may be talking $20 million to $40 million.

In other action, selectman gave final approval to close Circuit avenue on Oct. 20 from the foot of the street to Healey Square for LadyFest, a concert organized by Island female musicians in conjunction with the Ritz Cafe.

The event, scheduled from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., will benefit Connect to End Violence, a Martha’s Vineyard Community Services program that supports victims of sexual and domestic violence on the Island.