Selectmen may break a oneyear plan to repave Shore Drive into two phases.

It’s a move that will help keep tax rate increases to 3 percent and free up money to be spent on flood mitigation, said Selectman Chairman Everett McBride.

During their Monday, Nov. 26, meeting, officials discussed a recommendation by Town Manager Jonathan Sistare to do the road work over two years. They held off on making a decision.

The work, which has an estimated price tag of $2,145,000, would provide a new pavement surface, new gravel to improve the foundation and additional drainage.

“These people have been waiting 20 years to get these roads done,” Selectman Patrick Hargreaves said of Shore Drive residents.

But McBride said residents in other areas have been waiting a long time for their streets to be improved.

Bob Puff, the town’s director of engineering, said that public safety on Shore Drive was not being jeopardized by deferring half the work for a year – doing the first phase in 2008, followed by the second installment in 2009.

According to McBride, it’s important for the town to pursue projects related to flood prevention.

One proposal would spend $100,000 for catch basin cleanings and another would commit $200,000 for a drainage inventory and assessment.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can on the flood mitigation and be reasonable and responsible with the road program,” he said during the meeting. “I’m not happy that we’re going to do half of it but half of it is better than none of it.”

Money for the Shore Drive work would be proposed to voters in the form of a town warrant article.