DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The board of the First Step Shelter met Tuesday night to discuss pressing questions about the future direction of the shelter.
- First Step board meet to discuss shelter's direction
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After the executive director of the shelter, Mark Geallis, stepped down last month, he said unanswered about the shelter and its operations were partly to blame. The board came up with 10 questions to address at this meeting to try to set a clear path forward.
“It's important it all gets addressed now, because it should have been addressed months ago," said Chase Tramont, a First Step Shelter board member and Vice Mayor of Port Orange.
"That should have been the very first thing done as a board, there was no reason to really have any further meetings unless this information was established. But again, a lot of this has to do with the fundraising aspects of which has been very difficult,” Tramont added.
Here are the questions the board is addressing:
- Should this board continue with its current members and structure? What members should be on FSS board and what are their duties going forward?
- Full Turnkey or what is the minimum level of completion that the FSS Board will accept the shelter delivered in?
- What furniture and equipment does Catholic Charities of Central Florida feel it will need to run the shelter properly? Who’s going to pay for all that furniture and equipment?
- Is the funding already provided restricted as stated by Mr. Jagger and Mr. Chisholm or is it unrestricted as stated by some CODB commissioners and the wording in the CODB resolution and FSS bylaws?
- What type of facility should the shelter be? Will the shelter allow walk-in clients or will referrals be required or law enforcement only?
- CCCF fixed vs variable costs and how many residents for $1 million. Should the $1.6 million annual budget be downsized to $1 million?
- Will the shelter include an outdoor “safe zone” for homeless people who need a legal place to stay but can’t or don’t want to enter the shelter?
- How will the coordinating dynamics work beginning June 1st between CCCF and FSS Inc.?
- What type of employee should succeed outgoing Executive Director Mark Geallis when his resignation takes effect June 1?
- Will Catholic charities defer or delay their monthly fees until sometime in the future after the shelter is operational and on sound financial footing?
Despite the questions, the shelter is still slated to open in September.