Athens residents and Cowart Elementary School will have access to a safe room during severe weather in the coming months.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved plans and funding for a 442-person safe room to be built on the Cowart Elementary School campus in western Athens.

City Grant Coordinator Holly Hollman briefed the City Council on the project during Monday’s regular meeting. She said the room would be built just south of the school building off Bullington Road, which is close to residences, a small trailer park and apartments.

Once constructed, the safe room would be available to those at Cowart during school hours and to the public during non-school hours, Hollman said. There would be people assigned to open the shelter during non-school hours. The shelter would have rules similar to those at county shelters, such as no pets other than service animals.

Trey Holladay, superintendent of Athens City Schools, is enthusiastic about the project. “Keeping our students safe during the school day is our number one priority,” he said. “Having a safe place to take shelter during severe weather will ease the minds of all of our parents, teachers and students. Additionally, this will be a valuable resource to our community.”

Holladay said the project demonstrates what can be accomplished when organizations work together for the greater good of the community.”

Money and manager

Funding for the shelter came from hazardous mitigation money allocated through Limestone County Emergency Management Agency following the 2014 tornadoes. FEMA will pay $410,460 of the cost. The city and Athens City Board of Education will pay $136,821, with the school’s portion coming in the form of a $65,000 piece of land. As part of the city’s match, city crews will provide labor where possible.

During the City Council meeting Monday, council members voted 5-0 to hire Lee Helms Associates as grant administrator for the project. The company will oversee aspects of the project, including obtaining permits, reviewing pay requests, conducting visits to ensure the scope of work being accomplished, conducting quarterly meetings and preparing reports for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and other needs, Hollman said. Lee Helms Associates worked with Limestone County EMA on county safe rooms so they recommended the company to the city, Mayor Ronnie Marks said.

The next step is to prepare bid requests for the project.

During the council meeting, two councilmen — District 3 Councilman Frank Travis and District 2 Councilman Harold Wales — asked what residents who do not live near Cowart are supposed to do for shelter.

Marks said Limestone County received money following the 2011 tornado outbreak to be used for shelters but the county decided not to build any of those shelters in the city limits.