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Irondale to Add 200-Person Storm Shelter; Council Approved $200,000 Addition
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Summary
Jefferson County provided a storm shelter to Irondale; the city council approved an extra $200,000 to double capacity to 200. Construction, geotechnical work and site clearing are underway; the city says the shelter will sit next to the civic center.
Irondale Mayor reported that Jefferson County provided a storm shelter to the city and that the city council approved spending an additional $200,000 to expand the shelter from 100 to 200 people.
The mayor said the shelter was funded entirely by Jefferson County, not FEMA: “This is not a grant… This was 100% Jefferson County,” and that the council passed a resolution to pay the added cost after the city requested a larger-capacity shelter. The mayor said the enlarged shelter will include heating and air conditioning and restroom facilities.
City staff are doing geotechnical work before foundation work. The mayor said the county now requires geotech surveys after a separate site discovery elsewhere found an old swimming pool below a planned shelter foundation; that work delayed another county shelter and led the county to require surveys. The mayor estimated geotech and preparatory work could take about 90 days and said tree clearing has begun to beat bat-season restrictions on clearing.
The mayor said the storm shelter site will sit next to the civic center and that the city has discussed coordination with the Jefferson County School System about sheltering options at schools. An audience member asked whether pets would be allowed; the mayor said protocol had not been finalized and guidelines would be published when the shelter was completed.
The mayor attributed the county funding to local relationships and said the county’s existing budget line for storm shelters made the gift possible. He said the city passed a separate council resolution to fund the enlargement and that the city increased the shelter’s capacity because 100 people was judged insufficient for neighborhood needs.
The presentation included operational details the city will finalize later, including guidelines on animals and capacity procedures. The mayor encouraged residents to ask questions at future meetings and to watch the city’s website and newsletter for updates on timeline and rules.
