Columbus and Lowndes County officials have the option of applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency saferoom grants, to build emergency shelters for government officials.
Representatives of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Monday presented information on the grants to city and county officials, including David Armstrong, the city”s administrative officer, District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks and District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith.
The grants are part of Phase II of the “A Safe Place to Go” shelter program, started in 2001 after a series of tornadoes in central and northeast Mississippi.
Phase II is $10 million of Hazard Mitigation Grant funding allocated to local governments, non-profits and Indian tribes, for FEMA saferooms.
Under the reimbursement program, the city and county could build saferooms for “continuity of government” only accessible to “seats of government, emergency operations, public safety (officials), public works (officials) and emergency medical (officials).”
The shelters, anchored to existing foundations or new foundations, are to be a maximum size of 196 square feet, and maximum allowed occupancy is 16 people per shelter.
Approved projects will be reimbursed 95 percent of the total approved and documented costs.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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