Voters may be asked to weigh in on the Canobie Phase II water and sewer project for a second time after blocking an attempt to move forward with the $4.1 million project less then a month ago.

Selectmen voted on Monday, June 1, to give Town Manager Jonathan Sistare the authority to hold another special town meeting if funds for the project become available through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. According to Sistare, the town is now likely to receive $1.25 million from stimulus funds for the sewer portion of the project.

Officials originally filed with the state for possible stimulus funds separately for both the water and sewer aspects of the project, designed to improve the drainage around the lake while upgrading local roads and extending water and sewer piping into area neighborhoods. Though the water portion of the project remains too far down on the state’s priority list to receive any funding, the sewer portion has moved up as other municipalities around the state decide whether to go ahead with projects green-lighted for stimulus dollars.

Sistare told selectmen he expected to receive a confirmation from state officials by next month that the project would be eligible for the funding.

Though the town fell short of reaching the two-thirds majority to pass the combined water and sewer project at the May 19 special election, selectmen are hopeful that voters will support a warrant article limited to the sewer portion of the project. Selectmen indicated the town could pay for the water portion of the project through the water sewer unreserved balance.

Selectman Everett McBride attributed the defeat of the combined projects at last month’s polls to poor campaigning and a lack of certainty when it came to whether or not the project would receive any of the stimulus funds. With 62 percent of voters coming down in favor of moving ahead with the project if federal funds were involved, McBride said he would support asking the voters a second time for approval.

“We went to the voters two weeks ago and said we think we may get the funding. We probably didn’t do a good job of campaigning. We got 62 percent and that’s a positive vote,” McBride said. “I would support asking the voters again. Whatever they say, that’s the end of the story, but they need to know we have the grant in hand. We will get the funding.”

Selectman Patrick Hargreaves was the lone dissenting voice on the board, arguing that the issue was settled as voters had already decided on the project.

“We had 830 people take time off to vote on this item and they voted no ... We’re telling the 830 people that your vote didn’t count. We are going to go back to the well and bringing more water up,” Hargreaves said. “No means no, and when somebody tells me ‘no,’ I understand what the word means.”

Despite his opposition, the board voted 4-1 in favor of giving Sistare the go-ahead to begin preparing for the town’s fourth special election of the year if federal funds are authorized for the project.