HEATH — Just in time for the end-of-year deadline, the Selectboard allocated the last of the town’s $15,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money toward checking items off its to-do list for furthering the salt shed project while also covering the cost of Community Hall renovations.

According to the state Executive Office for Administration and Finance, Heath received $207,740 in ARPA funds to be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024. Over the past few years, that amount has grown smaller as the town bought accounting software and set aside money for construction of the new salt shed. By Monday, $15,000 remained.

Selectboard members agreed the best use of the money would be to finance the demolition of the town’s Emergency Operations Center on Branch Hill Road to make space for the new salt shed, which the town hopes to begin constructing in 2025.

The Emergency Operations Center was originally built to be the town’s command center in case a state of emergency is declared. However, since the elementary school on Jacobs Road closed in 2017 and was converted into municipal offices housing the Police Department, town nurse and other departments that would coordinate responses to emergencies, the Emergency Operations Center has largely served as a storage space for the Highway and Fire departments.

In the fall, the Selectboard agreed to put some ARPA funds toward buying two storage containers for the departments, allowing the Emergency Operations Center to be cleared out and demolished to make space for a salt shed.

Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner said the town has received one bid for demolition of the Emergency Operations Center, with a price of $6,750.

Before the structure can be demolished, some equipment, including internet and an electrical panel, needs to be relocated to the Fire Station. Sumner said the town has an electrician scheduled to come to move the panel and she expects the bill will be a few thousand dollars.

The Selectboard agreed to allocate the remaining ARPA funding to prep the Emergency Operations Center for demolition and to demolish the building, and use whatever funds remain to reimburse the town for recent renovations at Community Hall. The town rented a lift for $2,600 to paint Community Hall and had the ceiling rebuilt for $5,700.

“That should do it,” Sumner said. “We have $15,000, we’re gonna have the demo and that’s gonna be at least $7,000, and these two things (the painting and ceiling work) are over $8,000.”

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.