South Dakota Council Considering $535K Grant for Shelter

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(TNS) – The Mitchell City Council will consider accepting a half a million dollar grant today to fund the construction of an emergency shelter.

City officials applied for a pre-disaster mitigation grant through FEMA in 2022. The outcome of the application was a $535,292 grant awarded to the city.

The grant has to be accepted by the council for the city to begin building the shelter. The council will consider accepting the grant during Monday’s 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall.

According to Public Works Director Joe Schroeder’s memo in the council agenda, the project is estimated to cost a total of $604,894. The shelter would be constructed at the city-owned Lake Mitchell Campground.

When city leaders were drafting the pre-disaster mitigation plan in 2022, a key outcome was identifying Mitchell’s need for a storm shelter that residents can access in times of a severe weather event, such as a tornado. As of now, Mitchell does not have a specific designated storm shelter where people displaced from their homes can seek refuge during severe weather events.

The 1,980-square-foot shelter will be capable of holding up to 158 people, according to Schroeder.

Although the shelter would be built above ground, Mayor Bob Everson said sturdy material would be used to build the structure to withstand tornadoes and severe wind events.

The city’s share of the project is estimated to cost $81,055, which would be used to fund the construction of the bathrooms and showers inside the shelter.