Architect Emily Poole presented the transitional shelter blueprint to the Sunflower County board during last Monday’s meeting, sparking some action and debate. The county lawmakers passed the motion to advertise bids for the construction of the transitional shelter. Despite the board's efforts to press forward, some confusion remains around the transitional shelter's sustainability and the type of program Sunflower County Ministerial Alliance Counseling Services (SCMACS) will operate.
Poole presented a blueprint that includes 24 beds, two offices, an open area, a kitchen, a handicapped public bathroom, a laundry facility, and a storage area. According to Poole, the blueprint fits within the $350,000 price range of the county. Poole explored the option of in-kind services, such as interior painting, to stay within the price range of the board.
District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston still had unanswered questions from the previous meeting about how SCMACS would sustain the transitional shelter.
“Quite frankly, right now, they don’t have the commitments to sustain their operations,” Gaston said. “And before we go ahead and release bids to build a building, I think they need to come back and give us their operation plans and how they will sustain the operation.”
There is also some confusion about what type programs SCMACS will offer.
District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson posed a question that most board members shared.
“Are we even on the same page with SCMACS?” Dickerson asked.
“I don’t think so,” Gaston responded.
“I’ve always had the same concern,” Dickerson said. “I had this concern at the beginning. It seemed like me and Mr. Rice was the only ones worried about whether they could sustain it.”
Dickerson also requested a business plan from SCMACS to see exactly how they planned to operate the shelter.
SCMACS has shared plans to provide a facility for people to transition from a troubled life into a more normal sustainable lifestyle, while also communicating their intent to operate as a temporary homeless shelter.
“There are some things that SCMACS is going to have to revisit as far as what their actual program is,” Poole said. District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald explained that SCMACS would implement some plans after the transitional shelter begins operation.
Board attorney Johnny McWilliams noted that the contract he reviewed was geared towards counseling, and they added language that would make the shelter eligible for more grants. McWilliams asked Poole to review the agreement between the board and SCMACS. The county lawmakers will review bids in January of 2023.
