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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Fort Campbell is No. 1 in the U.S. Army Installation Management Command for the most approved intergovernmental support agreements, or IGSAs. The installation has seven IGSAs in place and more partnerships in the planning process for fiscal year 2021. The post estimates a projected $5.5 million cost savings over a 10-year period.
“IGSAs have been extremely successful across the Army and have been a great tool to work with our surrounding communities to create mutually beneficial partnerships,” said Jaqueline Knight, management analyst for the Fort Campbell Directorate of Public Works. “These partnerships make both partners more efficient and customers receive better service. They have generated an average of 30% savings when transitioned from a traditional contract.”
The use of IGSAs is considered one of the most cost-effective ways for Installation Management Command to acquire goods and services. IMCOM spends millions of dollars annually on supply and service contracts, and IGSAs are proving to be a significant tool in reducing that cost.
“Fort Campbell and our surrounding communities are interdependent. We depend on our sur-rounding communities and they benefit from our presence. IGSA’s take advantage of our current strong relationships to the benefit of both us. These partnerships not only save us money, they also provide an additional revenue and labor stream for local communities. They are a win-win for all involved,” said Pat Appelman, Directorate of Public Works director.
So far, Fort Campbell has saved $449,000 since the creation of the first IGSA in June 2019.
“Beyond cost savings, I believe the partnerships allow for sharing of information and collaboration with entities that do similar tasks,” said Matthew Brackett, chief of the business operations and integration division, DPW. “This exchange benefits both parties when best practices can be shared.”
These IGSAs also have established cooperative relationships between Fort Campbell and its community partners.
“Fort Campbell has entered into a number of IGSAs with the surrounding communities that help keep money local, provide internship opportunities to students, and improve the interconnectedness of the garrison and the community,” Knight said.
Below are the seven IGSA’s Fort Campbell currently has in place.
Stray Animal Facility
Fort Campbell’s first intergovernmental support agreement was signed on June 6, 2019, when Montgomery County Animal Care and Control, Montgomery County, Tennessee took over the Fort Campbell Stray Animal Facility and its operations. The Stray Animal Facility IGSA is projected to have a savings of more than $550,000 over a five-year period.
“The partnership with Montgomery County has been beneficial based on the quality of service provided,” Brackett said. “The Montgomery County Animal Control team has been great to work with. The professionalism and understanding as we transitioned this service on Fort Campbell allowed us to have very little issues. Communication was key in resolving issues as they surfaced.”
Between July 2019 and July 2020, the Fort Campbell Stray Animal Facility had 337 activity calls, with 332 animal intakes, 125 animals were returned to their owners. During that time there were 93 animal adoptions – 68 dogs, 23 cats, and two other species. The facility staff implanted 114 microchips and had 732 visitors.
“Our first year serving the Fort Campbell community has been simply tremendous and our stats for the first year speaks volumes as to how hard our staff at Montgomery County Animal Care and Control have worked to ensure that we are providing the best level of services to the Fort Campbell community,” said Dave J. Kaske, director of Montgomery County Animal Control.
The Fort Campbell Stray Facility has achieved “no kill” status as a result of having a 98% save rate for all of the dogs and cats that enter their facility, Kaske said.
“This status is not something that just our staff can celebrate but the entire Fort Campbell com-munity for without their help and caring, this achievement would not have been possible,” he said.
The relationships fostered and developed through the partnership with Fort Campbell over the first year has been a huge asset to both entities, Kaske said.
“In working with the Fort Campbell Veterinary Center, 72nd Veterinary Detachment, Fort Campbell Emergency Communications Center, Military Police and Directorate of Public Works we have been able to ensure immediate response to any concerns these agencies have with Stray Animal Services, as well as with our own,” he said. “Most of all, we are proud and honored to be able to serve those who have served by protecting our families, our freedoms and our way of life. Without our brave men and women in our military we would not be able to do what we do each and every day.”
Bulk Road Salt
Fort Campbell’s Bulk Road Salt IGSA was established with the city of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and signed Nov. 4, 2019. The agreement involves the purchase and delivery of bulk road salt for the installation. The Hopkinsville partnership is expected to save the installation approximately $374,000 over a five-year period. The contract continues through Sept. 30, 2024. Through the partnership, Hopkinsville purchases a large bulk quantity of road salt for the city and for Fort Campbell and then delivers Fort Campbell’s salt to post. Fort Campbell DPW dispenses and stores the road salt.
Wetland Survey
The Wetland Planning Level Surveys IGSA agreement with Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, signed Nov. 6, 2019, established a partnership with APSU environmental science students and faculty to conduct wetland surveys on post.
The APSU students and faculty members go to the various installation wetlands to verify their locations and their regulation. The process of collecting data takes approximately four to five months to complete and is part of a mandatory survey the installation must complete each year.
The IGSA provides Fort Campbell with an option to complete technical environmental studies lead by experts at a reduced cost while also providing educational opportunities, said Gene A. Zirkle, wildlife biologist with environmental division, DPW.
“Our partnership has been successful since the base year survey has been completed without any issues and APSU students were provided an opportunity to learn real world skills to assist them in gaining employment following graduation,” Zirkle said. “APSU and Fort Campbell coordinates throughout the year to minimize issues and to date we have not encountered any.”
APSU completed 10,000-acres of wetland surveys within the agreed timeline and budget, a big success Zirkle said. This IGSA is estimated to save approximately $187,128 over a three-year period. The agreement continues through Nov. 30, 2023.
“The survey is critical to completing Clean Water Act 404 permitting on Fort Campbell,” Zirkle said. “The data collected during the survey will streamline the permitting process by reducing the time required to complete the field site visits and collection of wetland determination data re-quired for the permitting process.”
The partnership with APSU has made completing projects easier, he said.
Road Striping
In the Road Striping IGSA Hopkinsville provides manpower, equipment and materials for road-way and parking lot striping at Fort Campbell. The agreement was established March 31, for a 10-year period. It includes standardized markings that comply with federal and state require-ments. This service was historically completed through an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, or IDIQ, with a local contractor and is estimated to save the installation $2,327,337 for the agreement period.
Other APSU IGSAs
Fort Campbell also has IGSA partnerships with APSU to track and survey endangered bat species and populations on the installation to further ensure their protection and conduct a hydro-logic discharge assessment of the installation cantonment area storm water system.
The endangered bat species IGSA agreement, signed in June, is expected to save $187,614 over a three-year period. During this time, teams of environmental science and biology scholars and experts will survey the forests, wetlands and other undeveloped forest areas on Fort Campbell to locate bats, specifically the Northern Long-Eared Bat.
The hydrologic discharge assessment of the installation cantonment area storm water system was established Sept. 23 and is a three-year agreement. This work was historically procured under contract or by in-house staff through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is expected to save the installation $1,081,863 during the agreement term.
Road Signage
Fort Campbell is expected to establish another IGSA with Hopkinsville this month that was officially signed Oct. 23 by Installation Management Command. In this agreement, Hopkinsville will provide the manpower, equipment and materials for installing traffic signage at Fort Campbell. This includes standardized markings that comply will federal and state requirements. This service was historically completed using the DPW workforce and government purchase card, or GPC, actions for one-to-one replacements of traffic signs and signposts. This agreement is expected to save $757,099 over the five-year period agreement.
Looking ahead
There are three additional IGSAs expected to be agreed upon in FY 2021, Knight said. One of the IGSAs will be an agreement with Montgomery County related to custodial work for the installation, and the others are additional agreements with APSU.
“The Intergovernmental Support Agreement Authority is still a very young authority, and installations across the country are constantly finding unique, new and creative ways to implement it at their garrisons,” Knight said. “As Fort Campbell and the communities become more comfortable with IGSAs, we will continue to seek out opportunities to partner in new ways with our communities. It’s a powerful way to integrate the community into the everyday operation of the garrison.”
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2020 16:41 |
| Story ID: | 382903 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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