Norfolk County approves $15,000 ARPA transfer to fund automated doors at Medway Senior Center

Norfolk County commissioners on Sept. 25 voted to transfer $15,000 in surplus American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the town of Medway to support installation of automated doors and related electrical work at the Medway Senior Center.

County Director Chen read a letter from the Medway town manager asking the commission to “respectfully request funding amount of $15,000 to support the installation and associated electrical work for addition of automated doors at the Medway Senior Center.” Chen said the request would be charged against Medway’s previously approved excess-capacity grant application totaling $105,000.

The commission approved a motion to transfer the funds from unused Canton project balances (identified in county accounts as OPERA 1171 and OPERA 1310) to the account for Medway (OPERA 1373). The motion passed on a voice vote with commissioners answering “Aye.”

County officials said the automated-door units and hardware cost just under $10,000 and the remaining roughly $5,000 would cover materials and labor for required electrical work. The director described the transfer as completing the loop on an earlier grant award and said Canton had declined to redirect its surplus funds back into the project.

Commissioners discussed the larger ARPA portfolio while voting. Chen told the commission that, as of mid‑May 2025, the bulk of ARPA advances were in use and that project completions over the coming months were likely to create additional small surpluses similar to Canton’s.

The transfer was framed as a one-time use of surplus funds against an existing excess-capacity application; the county director reminded commissioners that the competitive window for new applications closed on Dec. 31, 2024, except for certain county-owned building projects handled through the excess-capacity process.