Levy County Commissioners Approve ARPA Funds for Permanent Emergency Shelter Generator

BRONSON, Fla. (WCJB) — After receiving and accepting ARPA funds, Levy County officials will soon install a permanent generator in a heavily populated emergency shelter.

A special meeting was held after Levy County Commissioners accepted a grant for a new generator for the Bronson High School emergency shelter. They voted to accept the grant just before the deadline.

The new emergency operations manager found this $91,000 grant and applied for it in August.

Levy County officials say the current portable generator at Bronson Middle High School is old and not fully functional.

“When the power goes out, you have to manually go outside in the middle of the storm and start the generator. It’s about 10 different steps,” said Jennifer Bray, principal of Bronson Middle School.

Principal Bray says her school has been full during every hurricane this year.

“In the second shelter we had over 250, and then in the third shelter, it was pretty close to probably 150,” Bray said. “We’ve had up to 500 in our shelter before, but it’s pretty full.”

Other officials say they are beyond grateful that this generator can ease people’s minds.

“Emotions are going to run high because the people in those shelters are there and they don’t know what they’re going to go back to. I think this is a way to help with those emotions and give them things they would have at home. This generator is going to do that and I think everybody is going to see that we’re here for anybody that needs help,” said Levy County Schools Superintendent Tammy Boyle.

The principal of Bronson Middle High School, the superintendent and the board of county commissioners worked together to ensure that this heavily populated shelter would be comfortable.

“I appreciate working with the school board. When we’re in a storm situation, it’s all hands on deck. It’s the board of county commissioners that works so closely with the Levy County School Board to operate facilities and do various things, and I appreciate that relationship,” said Desiree Mills, president of the Levy Board of County Commissioners.

Residents say they don’t think the precedent was reliable.

“They should definitely have a backup generator because we have a lot of hurricanes and we lose power,” said Ben Robinson, a resident.

Robinson says he can’t imagine going anywhere for safety and not having a power source.

“I stayed home, but if I had to shelter in place, it would put my mind at ease knowing they had a backup generator,” Robinson said.

Officials say they hope to have this generator installed before the next hurricane season.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.