It’s still the middle of summer, but the City of Owensboro is already committing to taking steps to protect individuals who may seek refuge when the temperatures are dangerously low this winter. After looking at data from last year and several discussions with community and government leaders, City officials have approved keeping the White Flag threshold at 32°.
The City of Owensboro, Daviess County Fiscal Court, and the Daniel Pitino Shelter split responsibilities and costs for White Flag events. The County has not yet approved their portion of the contract.
Last year, officials bumped the threshold for White Flag events — when an emergency shelter is required to be open to anyone who is homeless and needs a warm place to stay — to be declared when the temperature or wind chill hits 32°. The former threshold was 15°.
The threshold was raised after concerned citizens stressed to leaders that it was too low. The change led to an exponential increase in White Flag events — there were 18 in the 2022-23 winter season compared to 87 in the 2023-24 season.
Daviess County Emergency Management Agency Director Andy Ball said 335 unique attendees attended at least one night throughout the 2023-24 season. Including repeat visitors to the Pitino Shelter, he said they served 2,163 individuals throughout the season.
Pagan said they plan to keep the protocol the same this season, except setting the agreement for 3 years instead of the 1-year trial agreement that was put in place last year.
“Other than a longer term of 3 years, this is the same agreement that was approved that we operated under for this most recently completed season,” Pagan said.
It has not been determined when Fiscal Court will discuss and potentially approve their portion of the agreement.
