With the Agawam Beach and Mayflower Ridge sewer project indefinitely postponed, town officials are now have to decide whether existing sewer users or taxpayers in general should ante up for the approximately $500,000 that was spent on the project before it was postponed.

The project, which would extend sewer service to the two neighborhoods, was indefinitely postponed in June after its high cost and environmental concerns prompted vigorous neighborhood opposition.

However, Selectmen's decision to effectively cancel the project came after half a million dollars had been spent on design and other work needed to put the project out to bid. Had the project gone forward, those costs would have been born by residents of Agawan Beach and Mayflower Ridge as part of their sewer "betterment" fees paid after completion of the project.

If there will be no completion, who should pay?

The matter got Selectmen's attention Tuesday night when a $25,000 piece of the larger cost appeared on the board's list of bills to pay.

Selectman Ellen Begley said she could not vote to authorize payment. "We need to do more research," she said.

Thus far, Selectmen were told, bills totaling around $500,000 for the discontinued project have been paid out of the sewer "enterprise" fund. The fund, filled through fees paid by sewer users, would normally be reimbursed by betterment money once the project was completed.

The selectmen voted to put discussion of the project on the agenda for next week's meeting.

In other town business:

• Town Administrator Mark Andrews reported that a group of graduate students has been selected to do a study and analysis of the school bus situation in Wareham, making a presentation on it in a public hearing no later than March 1, 2012.
• Wareham Free Library Director Denise Medeiros reported on library's status with the Massachusetts Board of Libraries accreditation committee. Currently Wareham's library is not meeting the minimum requirements to receive aid, and will have to again seek a waiver to gain access to grants, databases and the ability to borrow books and materials from other libraries throughout the commonwealth.
• Andrews reported that Baystate Municipal Accounting Group, headed by Justin Cole, began work as the acting Town Accountant Friday, Nov. 4.