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Bluff council approves asbestos testing at Cooperative Cultural Center; council considers mitigation funding options
Summary
After discussion of grant reallocations and possible EPA funding recoveries, the Bluff Town Council unanimously approved asbestos testing at the Cooperative Cultural Center and asked staff to pursue mitigation planning and funding options.
The Bluff Town Council voted unanimously to begin asbestos testing at the Cooperative Cultural Center (CCC) so the town can plan mitigation work and align grant reallocations.
Malia Collins told the council she had met with the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) about reallocating existing grant funds to work on the CCC and was recommending asbestos testing and early mitigation planning so the town is ready to move when additional funding becomes available.
Collins said two additional areas in the CCC require testing: the mechanical‑room ceiling and the undercoating around sinks; earlier testing had already found asbestos in floor tiles and baseboard mastic. She said the town’s previous test work cost roughly $3,000 and that an initial testing and planning effort is expected to cost in the low thousands; one council member suggested budgeting “about $20,000” as a conservative mitigation placeholder until tests define the scope.
Council discussion emphasized sequencing — test now, then scope mitigation based on results, and explore funding from GOEO, the EPA (possible future recoveries) and USDA programs. Steve McClure, the contractor who did the initial tests, was named as a prospective vendor for follow‑up sampling and mitigation planning.
Action and next steps The council voted to authorize asbestos testing at the CCC and asked staff to: (1) schedule the additional tests (mechanical ceiling and sink undercoating), (2) obtain mitigation cost estimates conditioned on test results, and (3) research GOEO reallocation, potential EPA recoveries and USDA funding that might cover mitigation.
Ending: Testing was approved; the council authorized staff to return with test results and mitigation cost estimates and to pursue possible grant realignments.
