HOPE Center officials are starting to get an idea how much work they need to complete to receive an occupancy permit from the city, and they’ll be able to pinpoint those costs after a structural engineer inspects the building, located at the intersection of 12th and Kalmia across the street from City Hall.
On Jan. 26, the City Council awarded a $500 community grant to the HOPE Center to help pay for some of the costs it has been accruing since replacing sprinkler pipes last year.
The $500 award will be used to install a Knox box, used to hold a key to the building for emergency personnel, and replace fire extinguishers to meet city requirements.
HOPE Center officials appreciate the city’s grant, said Lynn Wiens, co-director. “That’s very helpful. Every little bit counts. Now we can do those two things and mark them off our list.”
The HOPE Center must pay another $2,500 for the engineer to draw a set of plans and inspect the structure.
Last year, when the HOPE Center replaced undersized sprinkler pipes, it triggered the imposition of city requirements for an occupancy permit. The city granted a temporary occupancy permit at the end of the year.
The HOPE Center borrowed and spent $25,000 on the sprinkler repair. Carter’s Fire Sprinkler donated $3,480 in time and materials. The HOPE Center also has received $6,560 in other donations.
When the structural engineer finishes the inspection and plans, he may identify other work the HOPE Center will need to complete, Wiens said.
Potential costs afterward remain unknown, and the HOPE Center may have to change its fire escape.
The Hope Center has been serving the community since 1991 to give single women and women with children a unique opportunity to make long-term life changes.
To this end, the center offers support through mentoring, friendships, Bible studies and accountability. It also provides information and direction toward agencies that provide help with education, job training and other life skills.
The center offers longer-term housing because mentoring takes longer than a few months to make lasting life changes, with the goal that residents rejoin society as productive members of the community.
The City Council also awarded a $500 grant to the Sweet Home Farmers Market to purchase equipment needed to operate a booth at the Farmers Market to provide food demonstrations, Master Gardener talks, seed saving instructions, recycling workshops and other educational community-based projects. The funds also will be used for print and other media advertising to inform the community about project events.
The Farmers Market’s mission is to facilitate the provision of healthy, locally grown fresh foods and horticultural products to the residents of the Sweet Home area, diversifying, strengthening and making more resilient the local economy as well as enriching the community’s uniqueness and charm.
The market provides an outlet for local producers and vendors.