After a bid came in well over budget for a second time on the Chilmark School HVAC project, selectmen said this week the town will try a fresh tack.

Instead of one major project to replace the ailing system at the school, the town plans to break it down into smaller projects in an effort to spread out the cost.

In 2018 voters approved $227,000 for the project, which was subsequently supplemented by a $126,000 state grant when Chilmark became a green community in 2020. Voters approved $950,000 in additional spending at a special town meeting in November, pegging budget for the project at roughly $1.3 million. Aquinnah and West Tisbury, which are part of the up-Island regional school district, are sharing the overall cost.

The most recent bid from Providence-based Maron Construction came in $700,000 over budget, select board members said at their meeting Tuesday, leading the up-Island school committee to opt for a different approach.

“They are now looking at breaking this project up into smaller pieces and doing it over time,” selectman James Malkin said.

A new boiler at the school will serve as a stopgap if the overall heating system fails, while other details are ironed out, Mr. Malkin said.

In other business Tuesday, the board reappointed Forrest Filler as a temporary building inspector for another 60 days. Mr. Filler has been subbing for longtime building inspector Leonard Jason Jr., who is out on medical leave.

Rodney Bunker, maintenance supervisor for town-owned buildings, will retire at the end of March. The town will hire a custodian and a cleaning service, town administrator Tim Carroll said.

Select board members also learned that harbor master Ryan Rossi recently installed a mast to hang security cameras at the Menemsha docks. Voters approved $20,000 for the work at the November special town meeting. Mr. Rossi and police chief Jonathan Klaren are creating protocols for using footage from the cameras.

“Once they get the rules and the protocols down, they will be reviewed by town counsel to make sure that everything we do is appropriate legally,” Mr. Malkin said.

The board also gave approval for an upcoming bicycle race to raise money for multiple sclerosis. The race covers a 60-mile route around the Island.

“It’s a great event and everyone who participates in it seems to enjoy it . . . it raises a lot of money for [multiple-sclerosis]. I wholeheartedly support it,” Mr. Rossi said.