From
page A1 | October 22, 2015
FAIRFIELD — The future of
Travis Air Force Base – from expanded missions to new development projects and
water – was on the agenda of area representatives who lobbied Capitol
Hill on Wednesday.
“Another base realignment and
closure (debate) is inevitable,” Fairfield Mayor Harry Price said from the
nation’s capital. “And that’s why we are doing what we are doing to keep Travis
off that list.”
The discussions marked the need to
maintain the KC-10 Extender mission, and perhaps expansion with the KC-46
aerial tankers, the community partnership efforts that include two development
projects and the less-sexy but vital talks about securing a reliable water
source for the base.
Price said he was encouraged by the
local group’s meetings with Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Mike
Thompson, D-St. Helena, as well as their meetings with staff members for
Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.
Perhaps even more rewarding, Price
said, was the discussions they had with Gov. Jerry Brown’s office staff in
Washington, D.C. Price said Brown’s staff surprised him with
their knowledge of the Travis situation.
“I think we were encouraged by the
governor’s role on the military council,” said Price, adding the local
representatives also met with professional staff members from the U.S. House
Committee on Armed Services.
The group, which was scheduled to
meet Thursday with Pentagon officials, includes Mayor Len Augustine and
Councilwoman Dilenna Harris from Vacaville, Fairfield City Manager David White
and Solano County Economic Development Corp. executive Sandy Person.
Harris is there as chairwoman
of the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee. Augustine spent 28 years in the
Air Force, including assignments at the Pentagon and nearby Andrews Air Force
Base.
The trip was funded through the
Travis Community Consortium. The cost of the trip was not immediately
known.
Price said it is critical that
the KC-10 tankers remain at Travis, and if they were to be replaced by the new
KC-46, then that mission be assigned to the 6,383-acre base
located about 3 miles east of Fairfield.
Price said it is the Air
Force’s position is that both the KC-10 and KC-46 tankers are necessary.
“And Travis has land space for both
of them,” Price said.
Two development projects were also
on the agenda.
The first is the
on-base development of a new central civil engineering facility to replace
more than 50 scattered and sometimes antiquated engineering operations and
buildings. Officials said it would make the base far more efficient.
Augustine said the general budget
for the project is between $20 million and $30 million. He said it would not
only centralize those operations, but also free up space needed around flight
operations on the base.
What is most unusual about the
proposal is it would be funded through the Solano County bonding capacity,
rather than the base trying to qualify for federal construction funding, which
is not available at this time.
There is no specific time line for
the project, officials said, but they would prefer sooner than later.
“Our plan is we want to move forward
with the base as quickly as possible,” White said.
The group also received
encouragement for the concept of developing about 70 acres not far
from the Fairfield-Vacaville train station project, also part of the
Air Force Community Partnership Initiative. If the plan moves forward, it could
provide additional revenue for base operations through lease of the land.
“Nothing is on paper, so anything is
possible,” Augustine said. “But I don’t think it would be housing. It would
more likely be commercial and maybe some light industrial.”
While expansion on and around the
base is vital, Price said, it is just as important to establish regulations
that prevent negative impacts by future development, everything from solar and
wind turbine projects to meteorological towers.
Also at the forefront of the
discussions was the need for Travis to secure a more reliable water source.
The base gets its water from Vallejo
and on-base wells. Eventually, the Vallejo Lake
Frey and Lake Madigan sources will end, and the plan is to develop
more groundwater resources.
White said Travis officials are in
discussions with Fairfield and Vacaville to supply a secondary water
source to the base in the event there are short-term problems with a well, or
as yet to be determined by an ongoing groundwater study, the overall
impact on the regional aquifer.
A $1 million infrastructure project
has been outlined. White said the base has available funds to pay for the work,
which would be completed by Fairfield.
“It’s important to get your project
to the top of the list,” Augustine said of the trip. “And it renews (Washington
officials’) confidence to know that there are people who support Travis Air
Force Base.”
Reach Todd R. Hansen at 427-6919 or thansen@dailyrepublic.net.
