By Lee Weyhrich, For The Tribune
ARGO — Time is running out for the City of Argo to take advantage of a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Service grant for a public storm shelter. The council has until October 14 to get the grant process started.
Due to the short deadline, the mayor and council called a special meeting to meet with William E. Culpepper of Encompass 360, a professional consultant and project management firm, to discuss the grant writing process. The grant application process was originally allocated to the Argo Fire Department, but with the short deadline fire chief Mike Platts asked the council to consider hiring an expert in the grant writing process.
The council voted to hire Culpepper’s firm to begin the process at a cost of roughly $8,000. Mayor Paul Jennings called on a three-member committee made up of incoming mayor Betty Bradley, as well as incoming council members Ann Cowan and Ronnie Bowman to decide exactly what the city’s needs might be.
The HMS grant will pay 75 percent of the cost for a storm shelter, so the committee will have to weigh the various shelter options, the cost of each one, the needs of the city, capacity, and possible locations where the shelter might be built.
Originally the council was considering steel structures similar to the ones being used in Trussville. These structures are similar to the half-pipe shaped military “quonset huts.” They are by far the least expensive option up front and are capable of surviving Category five storms. The problem with steel structures, Culpepper warned, is that they can’t be used on a regular basis and require a considerable amount of maintenance and upkeep.
A better, and more utilitarian option would be a concrete structure, Culpepper said. Such a structure could be used as classroom space or for other needs, is easy to maintain, has an appearance that can be upgraded, and is less susceptible to moisture and temperature fluctuations than a metal structure. The only downside to this option is a considerably higher price tag.
A 100 occupant concrete building would cost roughly $200,000, Culpepper said. For every increase in capacity of 50 people he estimates that the additional cost would be between $25,000 and $50,000. Bowman suggested possibly going for a smaller shelter at this location and then reapplying later for another shelter in a different location at a later time rather than, “putting all our eggs in one basket.”
According to Culpepper, it is hard to know how large a shelter should be since once a shelter is established it often becomes a magnet for anyone in the area. He agreed with Bowman’s idea since it would spread out the number of people in one place and allow for easier expansion.
Once the committee has made its decision regarding the best location for this first shelter, and the size and type of shelter, another meeting may be called to make a final decision.
The mayor has promised that the process will be expedited as much as possible in order to meet the deadline.