By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD – The town will use $150,000 in ARPA funds toward the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Galvin Middle School after a vote of the Town Council this week. 

The funds had originally been allocated for the creation of a walking path along the western edge of Lake Quannapowitt, but that project was scrapped after it was determined to be infeasible due to logistics, issues involving private property and environmental concerns. 

Town Council Chairman Michael McLane has been pushing for the Galvin solar project, noting that the building is solar-ready. The time to do it is now, he said, while the building is relatively young. As roofs age, he noted, solar installations become more problematic.   

The total cost of the solar project is expected to be around $1 million. McLane said that the $150,000 from ARPA funds would lessen the cost to the taxpayers. 

Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio observed that with federal rebates and other available credits, the final cost to the town could be as low as $250,000. Thanks to anticipated energy savings of $85,000 to $90,000 annually, the payback period for the project is expected to be four years or less. 

An article to fund the project is expected to appear on the fall Town Meeting warrant. If approved by the voters, a bid process will determine which vendor will build the project. 

Town Councilor Robert Vincent made the motion to re-allocate the $150,000 in ARPA funds to the Galvin solar project. The Town Council voted unanimously on favor of the motion. 

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In other ARPA spending, Vincent made a motion to re-allocate $25,000 that had been designated for the assessment of historic structures and use that sum toward roof repairs at the West Ward School/Wakefield History Museum on Prospect Street. Jonathan Chines amended the motion to reallocate some other leftover smaller sums of ARPA funds to supplement the $25,000. The amended motion passed unanimously.  

The Town Council had earlier determined that the $25,000 originally designated for the assessment of historic structures would not be necessary because the cost of assessing the condition of any historic structure would be borne by the vendor submitting a bid to do the restoration work.