WHEELING — Members of Wheeling City Council are looking to use a portion of its opioid settlement money from the state to help fund a proposal to open more shelter beds in the city.

Legislation is scheduled to be introduced during tonight’s council meeting to authorize an allocation of $75,000 in opioid settlement funds to a joint proposal from The Life Hub and the Salvation Army of Wheeling to open 30 more shelter beds.

“There’s going to be a proposal on the table that we contribute some money to The Life Hub organization for the purposes of reopening the Salvation Army and adding 30 beds to the inventory,” Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder said Monday. “That’s where it’s at right now, and I’m sure we’ll have a lot more open discussion on that (during the meeting).”

The proposal comes as the closure of the city’s exempted homeless encampment looms in less than two weeks. A majority of city council members last month voted to recommend the closure of the city’s only exempted homeless camp, located near the entrance of the Peninsula Cemetery just north of the Interstate 70 overpass along Wheeling Creek.

A notice from the city manager’s office was posted at the camp the next day, alerting residents there that the city intended to close the encampment on Dec. 1.

Magruder deemed the exempted camp a “failure” for both those living in it and for Wheeling residents impacted by it.

City council members supporting the move to close the camp asserted that people should not be permitted to sleep out in the cold during the winter when there are a sufficient number of shelter beds in the city. However, the Salvation Army in Wheeling recently closed its shelter facility, and The Life Hub at the former First English Lutheran Church downtown has already been at or near capacity in recent weeks.

According to a joint proposal by The Life Hub and the Salvation Army, officials from the two entities — along with representatives of Project HOPE — met earlier this month to collaborate on a plan to address the community’s need for shelter beds. Collaborators included Dr. William Mercer and Chrystal Bauer of Project HOPE, Lt. John Lawrence of the Wheeling Salvation Army and Lisa Leach and Tina Morris of The Life Hub. Parties met for a tour of the Salvation Army facility and for a follow-up discussion.

“Lt. John Lawrence expressed a strong interest in collaborating with The Life Hub to address the upcoming camp closure and the growing need for emergency shelter in the Wheeling community,” according to the proposal. “During the tour, the group visited the recently renovated Salvation Army facility on 16th Street, which includes multiple rooms furnished with beds and dressers, as well as showers and laundry facilities, all located on the second floor.”

The proposal would have The Life Hub operate a low-barrier women’s shelter at the 16th Street Salvation Army location, with a facilities use agreement currently approved by the Salvation Army’s corporate office for an initial six-month term from approximately December to June. The 30-bed facility for women would undergo a mid-term review at the end of March and another review at the end of June when the contract would conclude and be up for renewal consideration.

Under the proposal, The Life Hub would oversee shelter operations and staffing; policies, procedures and safety protocols; and case management services in coordination with community partners. The Salvation Army would provide facility and maintenance support; cleaning and basic supplies; and security camera access, along with one staff member stationed on the first floor for safety monitoring.

Officials indicated six new employees would be needed to properly staff the facility. This would cost at least $108,000, according to the proposal. The goal is to raise $150,000 to ensure coverage for staffing, utilities and incidentals. Life Hub officials are expected to seek additional funds for ongoing renovations to the shelter at the former church.

Women relocated from the encampment and all women currently staying at The Life Hub would be moved to the Salvation Army site, allowing The Life Hub’s main location to serve more men.

Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the second floor courtroom at the City-County Building downtown.