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Show '2 2:51 Ju' Housing wi II be private by September 2002 HillAFB weather outlook 5-d- ay www.airfield-ops- BSE 82" High 62 Low Partly cloudy - - 75th Engineer Group Housing f Office Family housing on Hill AFB will be transferred from the government to a . hiII.af.miloswweather r by Doug Arave ..A L - private contractor by September 2002. Housing privatization is a DoD-wid- e initiative, not restricted to Hill. It is being done primarily for the benefit of the enlisted force. Congress has committed funds and fully supports privatization efforts as a way to improve housing standards and quality of life for our military force plus it saves money on infrastructure costs. It results in more houses being built and improvements to existing housing the government couldn't otherwise complete. We will address concerns and keep residents apprised through "Town Hall" meetings and through the Hilltop Times. The housing flight staff, the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron and the 75th Civil Engineer Group commanders and I are available to discuss all housing issues during commander's call, neighborhood meetings or other venues. Call the housing flight at Ext. for more information. Common questions asked about housing privatization include: one-on-on- e, Photo by Gary Boyla 79 High 64 Low Cloudy with showers and thunderstorms How long has the base known about housing privatization? The project was initially proposed in fiscal year 1998. However, the proposal was put on hold pending further evaluation. It wasn't until May 2001 that the project concept was approved. Town meetings have been held on base for the past three years with privatization being one of the main discussion topics. Unfortunately, attendance has been poor. With the recent on the project, the housing flight is now providing information on privatization to all new residents. DoD initiative to improve living conditions for active duty forces by having the homes brought up to conventional standards by 2010. go-ahe- Are all the homes on Hill AFB being privatized? No. Homes considered for privatization have to meet specific criteria. First, they must be easily severable IS 9 83' In some privatization projects, the BAH cer and enlisted housing. What is privatization? Privatization of family housing is a i High 62 Low Partly cloudy . 'V Do the homes meet energy stan- dards? Most of the homes meet energy requirements. The developer is responsible for renovating the homes, and has six years to bring them up to energy standards and add gas and electricity meters. Will privatization impact security and fire protection? No. The base will continue to provide from the rest of the base. Of the 1,141 homes on Hill AFB, the 1,1 16 located on the south perimeter fall into this category. Second, homes cannot be eligible or on the National Historic Register. The 25 homes located within the interior of the base, built in the late 1930s and early 1940s, are eligible for the register and won't be privatized. There are no plans to actually sever any of the property; however, if the decision is made to do so following the obligations, it must be easily severable not in the middle of the base and away from key mission areas. 50-ye- ar Is it true only enlisted housing is being privatized? No. The 1,1 16 homes are a mix of of fi-- A is paid directly to the contractor by the government. We are still determining the best avenue for Hill AFB; however, BAH is intended to pay the costs for both rent and utilities. Will residents pay rent and utilities? both these services. The rumor that we will install a new fence to cut off the Basic Allowance for Housing should cover both rent and utilities, but yes, rent and utilities will have to be paid just as they are paid today for you through the accounting system. The amount of rent will be BAH less 110 percent of the average utility cost, based on the size of the home. Members will set up an allotment to pay rent. Gas and electricity charges should be covered by the remaining unused portion of the members' BAH (equal to 110 percent of the average utility cost for the size home) and will be paid by the resident directly to the developer. The developer will pay for water, sewer and garbage. Until meters are installed on the homes, the utility allowance won't be separated. housing area is false. The area remains Air Force property. Since the homes will be designated by rank, will the BAH amount be set at that rank? Yes. Homes should be designated from the history of resident demo- graphics. As such, home designations should match the rank of the occupant. Rents for each home (BAH less 110 percent of average utility cost) will be set by the designated rank. about maintenance? There should be little to no change. The developer will be required to perWTiat form maintenance just as it is done now. Is it true the general public will be eligible to move into the homes? Our housing occupancy priorities remain generally the same. If occupancy rates fall below 95 percent for three consecutive months, homes may be offered to federal civil ser- vice employees, retired military members and their families, active guard and reserve military and their families, retired civil service, DoD con- tractor, then the general public in that order and only with the approval of the installation commander. People in these categories will only be able to enter a lease, and will be required to move out if a military member has a requirement for the one-ye- ar unit. Hill AFB isn't the first, nor will it be the last military base worldwide to privatize housing. It is working well in most areas. While there are many issues to still be worked, we will keep you informed on the progress of negotiations and how they impact housing residents. The absolute worst thing we can do is to "guess" on how it works. There are very capable experts working this and from Hill AFB to the Pentagon in the private sector. How many other places can you go in the local com--muni- ty and find comparable housing, utilities, safety and security at what you pay now for base housing? The end result should be better housing at the same cost. participating in energy conservation Hill Patriotic parade by Dave Abbott Base Utility Manager, 75th Civil Engineering Squadron 82 High 62 Low With the newfound focus on energy conservation, Hill AFB will be using the Internet to inform employees about critical electrical demand days. d The notifications support Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt's Energy Conservation Alert Program. The program is similar to the green, yellow and red burn days commonly mentioned during the winter months for air quality. Instead, the summer months will have green, yellow and red power alert days. Gft&eOl means normal conservation is reccommended. Sunny Power-Forwar- 171 L .5 - A - I efrAT?rm I fk A ''4 'fit. Ye I low signals a strong need for conservation. High, iV $ 90 High 65 Low Partly cloudy 2lS. Hill AFB Photos by Gary Boyle DUIDWI & M V Bill ' parade through Hill AFB America's celebrating 225th birthday. Ashlee Report Date of last DUI: June 28 Days since last Williams, a good airman Keep ) alive don't drink -- n and drive! (75ABWand 388 FW will Megan part. Red means conservation is absolutely critical. This situation exists just before interruptible leads will be taken off the system. Consumers are reminded to voluntarily reduce their consumption of electric power to avoid more severe conditions including widespread blackouts. The "Power Alert" notifications will be posted on the Hill Web site at www.hill.af.mil as well as notification on the Services marquee on Wardleigh Road near Bldg. 891. Local television and radio stations will also update the alert status. More details are available atwww.powerforward.utah.gov. s The base power consumption can peak as high 37 on the hottest days. Without production capability, all the base power requirements are purchased through our local utility provider. The alerts are primarily in affect from p.m. when the power grid throughout Utah experiences the highest demand. This is a time when shift changes are commonly occurring on base. If possible, turn off machinery until the next shift's production times begin. This is not expected to affect Hill's productivity levels and mission requirements. This guidance applies to all employees both on the job and off. Additional energy conservation tips for the workplace and in our family housing units are: Turn off lights that aren't needed Unplug even small appliances that aren't in use like toasters, microwave ovens and blenders. They still use a small amount of power even when not in use. Turn-u- p thermostats a few degrees. Employees in critical areas should adhere to base policy guidance in mega-watt- 2-- HAFI 8 23-30- Turn air conditioning off when you're not at home. Airmen Against Drinking and Driving (586-223- 1 al re grant a one-da- y pass if we go 45 days without a DUI.) Current as of Juno 10, 2001 586-AAD- D n Al left, and Matthew Farley lead the parade past the commissary July 3. Providers, staff and children from Family Child Care and the Child Development Center took Schwartz, DUI: 12 leadership j The Stars and Stripes wave in the July sun as patriots V above-norm- temperatures are expected, leading to high wholesale electricity prices. 3) L Use a portable fan instead of an air conditioner. Don't use big appliances like washing machines, clothes dryers or dishwashers during peak hours. Keep blinds closed on windows, particularly those facing south and west Use the outdoor grill or microwave instead of the oven. |