The grant is available through FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The grant write up is due at the end of January. The grant is a 75/ 25 percent match with a minimum of $50,000. The money is to be used for the assembly of an emergency shelter. The city plans to make the new Community Center a place that will be equipped to handle emergency situations.
If the city receives the grant, they will be responsible for purchasing $12,5000 worth of equipment for the shelter. Councilman Frankie Phillips said that the city was already planning on spending that money on tables and chairs to equip the facility.
Sholar and the council decided that as long as the money from the city and the grant could be used to purchase emergency equipment then the grant would be beneficial to the city.
Other items that are in need of being purchased to make the center eligible to be an emergency shelter are cots, blankets and storage lockers. Under the FEMA code 320, "Taking shelter from the storm" the center must have a working shower facility. A portion of the grant money could be used to build a shower facility.
Currently the only 2 emergency shelters in the city of Cadiz are Trigg County High School and East Cadiz Baptist Church. Sholar said that another shelter would be beneficial if an emergency should arise.
During the winter storms in late December people took advantage of the emergency shelters. Trigg County High School hosted many people who were stranded because of the storm.
Sholar anticipates hearing back from the Grant committee on or after May 1, 2005. Current plans for the Community Center are being approved in Frankfort. She hopes to have the Center completed by the end of 2005. If the grant is approved it should only take a few weeks to make the Community Center equipped to be an emergency shelter.
