Palatka summarizes cold-weather shelter response; commissioners ask for SOPs and better site planning

City staff briefed the Palatka City Commission on a recent five-day cold-weather shelter operation and outlined steps for improving future responses.

Eddie Cutright of Community Affairs described the operation that began Jan. 26: the city, county, police, community volunteers and local organizations provided cots, food, and short-term housing; staffing included two 6-hour shifts with a mix of police, community-affairs staff and volunteers. Cutright said the shelter successfully housed several residents and that staff plan to rotate sites beyond Jenkins where feasible.

Commissioners praised staff responsiveness and discussed operational lessons learned: the need for clearer communications with partner organizations, pre-identified alternate facilities (including school classrooms if available), and a formal standard operating procedure to trigger a warming/cooling shelter. Commissioners noted criteria that govern temporary shelter activation — specifically temperature-based thresholds that must be checked daily — and asked staff to propose possible sites that meet those criteria and regulatory requirements.

A commissioner who serves on the Continuum of Care (CLC) said the county has existing resources (Grace Marketplace, Family Promise, Catholic Charities, Lee Connolly House) that can provide outreach, rapid rehousing and prevention services, and pledged to seek monthly reports on outcomes and placements. Staff reported several successful placements, including a pregnant woman and others moved into housing with CLC support.

The commission thanked volunteers and departmental staff for the response and directed staff to develop a written SOP, compile a list of viable shelter locations (and any criteria for overnight use), and coordinate with CLC partners to provide monthly performance reports to the commission.