This is the fourth IGSA in Fort Stewart only. The four agreements have reduced the base`s operating costs by about $2.2 million a year, said Col. Bryan Logan, commander of the Fort Stewart garrison and nearby Hunter Army airfield. Based on the analysis of 8 selected Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) and interviews with officials, the GAO found that military services derived financial and non-financial benefits from using IGSAs with local or state governments to obtain facility services such as waste disposal, soil maintenance, and dispersed animal control. In this report, the GAO assessed, among other things, the extent to which military services have (1) recognized and monitored the benefits of IGSAs, and (2) supported and monitored the use of IGSAs, and whether facilities were assessing opportunities to use IGSAs. Officials in Fort McCoy and Monroe County, Wisconsin, signed the first Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) between the parties in December. 26, 2019, in Fort McCoy. The IGSA is intended for light detection, distance measurement and aerial photography. The agreement is valid for 10 years from the date of signature.
This is the first agreement resulting from the launch of the Army Community Partnership and the Needs and Capability Conference held in Fort McCoy in April 2019. Leaders from the Fort McCoy garrison, tenant organizations, and state and local government agencies attended the conference. “The conference identified the needs of Fort McCoy and the community and identified new and existing partnerships and opportunities,” said Liane Haun, Director of public works. After the first conference, an igsa workshop was held in July 2019 to reflect on partnership concepts and prioritize partnership initiatives. “Once the concept was accepted by both parties for Monroe County and Fort McCoy, the IGSA was returned to the facility management command, where it was approved for final occupation in October,” Haun said. The April conference was the launch event for the Military`s Community Partnership Program in Fort McCoy, which leverages the strength of federal, state and local governments to forge partnerships that increase efficiency and achieve cost savings. According to the Office of the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, G-9, the primary service organization of the Army Community Partnership Program, the goal of the program is to transform Army settlement services through various partnership opportunities. “Partnership agreements with local and state communities form the foundation for efficient and cost-effective service delivery that can benefit both organizations without the complexity of traditional contracting practices,” said Maureen Richardson, Director of Resource Management and the IGSA Program at Fort McCoy.
“The program adds another tool to the toolbox so that Department of Defense (DOD) facilities can operate at a reduced cost.” Richardson said many other military bases have already partnered with their surrounding communities. “There are endless creative solutions in these partnerships,” Richardson said. “We also want to integrate them into our communities.” The signing of the partnership agreement itself on Dec. 26 was the final step in consolidating the IGSA between Fort McCoy and Monroe County, Haun said. “Monroe County is already doing aerial photographs for all townships and had asked Fort McCoy if there was a chance to work together to have the aerial overflight done simultaneously,” she said. The cost to Monroe County of aerial photography is much lower than what Fort McCoy paid for by other means. “Now that we have entered into the partnership agreement, Monroe County can include Fort McCoy in its airflight in the spring of 2020, and Fort McCoy has entered into a signed agreement to pay for the services provided,” Haun said. Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Colonel Hui Chae Kim and Monroe County Administrator Tina Osterberg signed the agreement. More IGSAs are expected to be concluded as more partnerships are formed, Haun said.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Monroe County and hope this will be the first of many other partnerships,” Richardson said. “Ideally, Fort McCoy and community leaders from Sparta and Tomah will come to us with good ideas they want to try, that can serve both of us or all of us together. We have formed working groups in various areas in Fort McCoy, including emergency services and human relations. These are win-win opportunities that enjoy great support at the military, DOD, and Congressional levels. All Fort McCoy IGSAs are coordinated by the Fort McCoy Resource Management Office. (The Fort McCoy Public Works Branch and the Fort McCoy Resource Management Office contributed to this article.) The Department of Defense (DOD) plans about $25 billion a year to operate and support its facilities. Since 1997, the GAO has classified the management of the DoD`s supporting infrastructure as a high-risk area, in part because the DOD needed to reduce its installation support costs. In 2013, Congress authorized military services to supplement IGSAs with local and state governments to receive installation services if an agreement brings financial benefits or improves mission efficiency. .