The county’s contractor for the homeless transitional shelter may be seeking a large funding stream by way of a grant.
During Tuesday’s Sunflower County Board of Supervisors meeting, Brown & Associates Inc.’s Dr. Adrian Brown told the board that there is a substantial grant available.
Emergency Solutions is a shelter grant through the Mississippi Home Corporation. Brown explained to the board that during the last meeting, the board authorized Brown & Associates Inc. to prepare the application the same day the Mississippi Home Corporation held an application workshop.
Brown said, “We attended that workshop, and then subsequently we sent out an email to the board, the board’s attorney, Dr. (Gloria) McIntosh and Mrs. (Mary) Hart, with some highlights I think the board needs to consider.”
Currently, the county has contracted with Sunflower County Ministerial Alliance & Counseling Services to operate the shelter.
Brown explained that the lowest amount the county can receive from the grant is $75,000 and the highest is $500,000. The application is due by September 20.
“We just need to know what you want us to apply for to the Mississippi Home Corporation. In other words, they will provide reimbursement for eligible expenses such as insurance, and utilities, but they do not allow for administrative costs to be paid out of their fees.”
Board President and District 5 Supervisor Gloria Dickerson said, “As I understood is that if we apply for $75,000 the county has to match that dollar for dollar, right?”
Brown said, “The county has a building that you all recently constructed that can be considered as a match. It can be cash or an in-kind payment.”
Attorney Johnny McWilliams asked what the percentage match is.
Brown said, “It isn’t a percent match. It just says dollar for dollar so if we request that $75,000, I have to show the county has contributed $75,000 to the project.”
Brown explained to the board more of the expenses the grant will pay, which includes anything to operate the shelter besides administration.
Dickerson said, “That means no salaries or none of that stuff. Just facility maintenance maybe.”
Brown said, “It is really an operational type of grant.”
Sunflower County District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald asked, “Is this a year-to-year grant or is it once a month?”
Brown said, “It’s a year-to-year grant when you apply the first time, and if you implement that grant then apply again. It will be two years at a time after the initial one year.”
Donald said, “I was wondering can you apply for storage that would be one of the utilities like all of the things that are being donated for the youth and everyone. There isn’t enough room for it all.”
Brown said, “And looking at the application I didn’t see storage, but I can make that inquiry.”
Brown let the board know that he needs some numbers as soon as they can give them to him because the application is due in a few weeks.
McWilliams said, “It’s hard to know. I mean it’s brand new.”
Brown said, “What I would recommend of course you all should know how much the insurance cost is. The utilities for one month I am sure the county has been receiving bills for.”
Donald said, “You are going to be looking at about $1,000 a month probably.”
The county has committed $40,000 per year for the operation of the shelter. SCMACS, the operator of the shelter, is raising funds from other sources, including local churches.
The grant is a 12-month grant. If the board is awarded the funds no religious activities can be conducted inside of the shelter. All religious activities will have to be taken off site.
SCMACS is a ministry, and Pastor Phillip McGee has in the past expressed a desire for the program there to be Christ-centered.
McWilliams asked, “Reverend McGee, are any of your programs of that nature where you say that you are going to have a Bible study or we recommend you to have a Bible study or anything like that?”
McGee said, “Yes sir, but it’s not mandatory. It’s on an individual basis. No employee of SCMACS will be conducting it. We would allow the clients if they choose to do so. When we get ready to implement the program it will be off-site at another church. It will not be conducted, per se, in the building.”
Dickerson said, “I say $75,000”
The county has to spend all of the funds, or any leftover funds will have to be sent back.
Brown said, “I just need permission from the county as to the various line items and the cost of those line items that you all are requesting.”
Brown explained to the board that a case manager for the shelter is the only personnel cost the grant will cover.
Dickerson asked, “So you are saying that we can hire someone out of the grant?”
Brown said, “Case management is an eligible budgeter line item that you can request. SCMACS is the operator of this particular shelter there has to be a conversation between the operator about the needs of case management.”
Brown explained that he needed the information on the line items so that he could proceed with the grant.
McWilliams asked, “If we use our building as a match how much would that amount to you think? I mean is it like fair market rental value based on the square footage?”
Brown said, “It’s a face market rental value is what they said in the application instructions. Fair market rate value, I would say that you all would utilize the cost that it took to construct the shelter would be the basis for the evaluation. Because I’m sure you all have that documentation.”
The two match dollars Brown plans on utilizing are the building as well as what the county is contracting with the operator.
Dickerson said, “If you are going to put personnel in there you have to say how much you are going to pay the personnel and add everything up. Then decide on how much - maybe $100,000, may be $150,000, I'm not sure. Case management is a full-time personnel person.”
Brown said, “Yes, with a personal professional license.”
Donald said, “He has an office built in there for case management.”
The board provided SCMACS to oversee the case manager. The case manager will be employed by SCMACS.
Dickerson said the board should have a work session about what SCMACS is responsible for paying.
County Administrator Mary Hart will have the budget ready for Brown.
Also, Brown & Associates Inc. donated a 65-inch TV to the transitional shelter.
