Federal funds to stimulate base infrastructure

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  When President Barak Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the intent was to revitalize the economy across America, including the Florida Panhandle. 

Part of that act is $2.18 billion in funding for the Department of Defense Military Construction Program. More than $34.6 million is being funneled here for infrastructure projects aimed at keeping the local economy moving forward. The MILCON program creates and saves jobs by funding construction and long-term repair projects required to maintain military facilities. 

Contracting officers Mary Caputo and Tony Roy spearheaded the initiative, getting 50 projects awarded for base improvements, including more than $27 million in airfield and base paving projects. 

"The housing and construction industry are hurting," Mr. Roy said, "and this is a way to stimulate that part of the economy through aggressive construction projects." 

The 96th Civil Engineer Group keeps a list of unfunded requirements that are prioritized through the facilities board said Dan Robeen, chief of the programs division for the group. Projects were drawn from this list. 

"Usually only a small portion gets funded,"  Mr. Robeen said. "We were asked to come up with a list that was quickly executable projects. Some have been sitting on our list for a long time, but they didn't compete well." 

Mr. Robeen said the $34+ million represents about a year's work in dollars and the number of projects. He said it was a huge effort on both CE and CONS part to get the money obligated and the projects rolling. 

Maj. Harry Loughran, 96th Contracting Squadron commander, agreed the biggest challenge the specialists faced was meeting the deadline to get the funds on contract.
"The money had to be obligated within 120 days from the Feb. 17 signing," he said. "The rules weren't hashed out yet and they seemed to change on a daily basis." 

Mr. Roy said part of the premise of the stimulus act was to use pre-existing contracts if available and small businesses for rapid execution of contract actions. But that doesn't leave new contractors wanting to do business with the base out of the mix. He said there are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts in place for continuing base improvements like roofing and paving and some of them will meet their limits sooner as recovery projects are performed. 

"When these contracts were initially competed, they carried a ceiling amount," Mr. Roy said. "Then we are able to place awards against those contracts until it pushes us against their stimulus cap," he said. "Some contracts will become a three-year instead of five-year contracts. We'll wind up exercising our option periods quicker and give other businesses an opportunity when we recomplete these contracts." 

Major Loughran said contractors have to sign that they are willing to follow reporting protocols to receive the stimulus funds. 

"There are a lot of reporting rules for the contractors including how many jobs created or saved," the major said. "Contract managers will be engaged and there will be on-line systems reports tracking project expenditures that we will have to monitor." 

Mr. Roy said the base can expect a lot of activity after the July 4 holiday since it takes about 45 days after the awards to begin construction work. 

"Repaving takes a lot of coordination work around mission needs," he said. "The contractor needs to secure bonding within 10 days, and present a progress schedule, material submittals and schedule the work," he said. "The notice to proceed and pre-performance meeting is held within 30 days." 

Col. Bruce McClintock, 96th Air Base Wing commander, said he's pleased that the majority of the construction dollars will stay in the local area. 

"This is a triple play for Eglin and the community," he said. "Not only are we able to address unfunded mission and quality-of-life projects, we are able to help local businesses to provide much needed employment."