The Rhea County Commission approved County Executive Jim Vincent applying for a grant for a Multi-Hazard Emergency and Medical Building through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
County Executive Vincent said this will be constructed in Evensville in the area of where the County Fairgrounds are located.
“The Fair board called over a year ago and wanted to get help with building a building which was going to run $400,000 to $500,000. This grant became available in the past few weeks and must be submitted by the 14th of April,” he said.
County Executive Vincent said the building would consist of an area that could hold 500 to 600 people in the event of an emergency.
County Commission Chairman Jim Reed pointed out that over the years Rhea County has been a victim of tornadoes as well as a flood exceeding the 500-year historic level, to mention a few things.
County Executive Vincent also said the building, which will be located on Eagle Lane by the Rhea County High School, will also be a multi-purpose building that would also hold the Remote Area Medical- (RAM), the largest provider of mobile medical clinics in the country delivering free medical, dental, and vision care to under-served and uninsured individuals, children, and families.
RAM clinics have been held in school gymnasiums and outdoors under tents. This building will provide a location for them to set up in Rhea County.
County Executive Vincent said that once approved, Southeast Tennessee Development District will put out for bids the construction of the building and the specifications for the structure that will be dual purpose as a weather hazard and medical facility.
Motion was made by Commissioner Mark Cashman with a second from Commissioner Nick Welch to have the county seek the grant.
County Executive Vincent said that this is a matching grant and the county’s portion would be around $69,300. The money for this would come from TVA impact money that the county already has.
He said, “We will use the old money first. We have just approved new impact money in the amount of $759,000 that will be given in installments from TVA over four years. The old money has been in our accounts for several years."