A Sturgis city commissioner plans to step down next month, and the next step in the process to open an extreme weather center was greenlit Wednesday by the Sturgis City Commission.
Krysti Boughton
The Sturgis City Commission will hold a second reading for the Extreme Weather Center (EWC) on Wednesday evening during a regularly scheduled meeting. For eight months a local Sturgis group has worked to organize and assemble a location for individuals in need during extreme temperatures, and have faced challenges with zoning, building, and fire codes.
Members of the Emergency Extreme Weather Center (EEWC) board met with City of Sturgis staff Thursday to discuss next steps in opening the facility. The goal of the new effort is to provide a center which can be operated overnight to house people during set conditions. The proposed location presents difficulties for use as an overnight housing center due to zoning, building, and fire codes.
On Tuesday, January 10, over 40 individuals from Sturgis and surrounding communities gathered at the St Joseph Community Co-Op to address plans for an Emergency Weather Shelter.
For most of the population in St. Joseph County a dry and warm home is the solution to combating inclement weather. However, a large number of unhoused people in this community are being left out in the cold. The City of Sturgis is working on its own solution, potentially creating a blueprint the City of Three Rivers could also implement.