Riverton City Council approves economic development funding agreement for Mercy House shelter renovations

(Riverton, WY) – The Riverton City Council approved a $10,000 economic development funding agreement with Riverton’s Mercy House this week to support facility renovations and job creation at the homeless shelter the nonprofit organization is developing.

The agreement says the funds must be used for repairs and renovations that will make the old Good Samaritan Center property at 921 E. Washington Ave. that Eagles Hope Transitions recently donated to Mercy House “habitable for staff members.”

Terms

Under the terms of the agreement, Mercy House has to use the funds within 18 months, and the money can only be spent on equipment purchases, inventory, or facility construction.

The organization must submit detailed reports showing how the funds were used, the agreement states, including proof of purchases, receipts, warranty deeds and documentation of property procurements.

The funds cannot be used for general operations like payroll, taxes, insurance, or accounts payable, according to the agreement, but Mercy House must hire one new full-time employee within 12 months and provide regular employment reports to the city, including the current number of full-time equivalent employees upon entering the agreement and annual updates for three years.

All employees counted in those reports must be located within Fremont County, the agreement states, and the city retains the right to audit employment documentation.

The agreement also includes provisions for the city to recover the funds if Mercy House fails to meet the outlined requirements.

Employment

During discussion on the agreement, Councilmember Karen Johnson asked Mercy House Treasurer Rowena Bland about the potential for the homeless shelter to employ local drug court clients who are “struggling” to find work in town. 

“A lot of businesses are denying them the opportunity for work,” Johnson said, explaining that, after she learned about the issue from a friend who “works closely with drug court clients,” she called Bland and asked whether Mercy House would “entertain the thought of employing some of these folks to bring them back into the community and have them be contributing members of society and on the right track.”

“They graciously agreed to visit with her, and I don’t know how that went,” Johnson said. “So I was hoping you had an update.”

In response, Bland confirmed that she was able to connect with the individual in question and is “excited” about the prospect of developing a “good marriage” between Mercy House and local drug court clients.

“I invited her to come to our board meeting and introduce herself (and) lay out some of her thoughts,” Bland said. “I believe that there is opportunity for employment for those people.”

For more information, visit the Mercy House Facebook page or call the City of Riverton at (307) 856-2227.