Photo By Michelle Gordon | Jessica Holston, BBC community manager, addressed community questions and concerns...... read more read more
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Leaders from throughout Fort Bliss, Texas, gathered for a socially-distant town hall to provide an update on outstanding housing issues and address new concerns during a virtual event held Sept. 28, 2020.
Hosted by the 1st Armored Division senior commander, Brig. Gen. Matthew Eichburg, and facilitated by Fort Bliss garrison commander Col. Stu James, the event was livestreamed on the installation Facebook page, where viewers were encouraged to submit their questions and comments.
James reminded the audience that there will never be a reprisal for reporting substandard housing conditions, which led into an explanation of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights.
The bill of rights was introduced by the Department of Defense earlier this summer across each of the service branches. It outlines the rights of tenants in all privatized housing units. The document, located at https://home.army.mil/bliss, is also provided to all Fort Bliss Soldiers upon in-processing.
“The Army has heard your concerns and wants to make sure we address them, and we want to address them in a timely manner,” James said.
Among the 15 rights, residents have the right not to pay non-refundable fees or have application of rent credits arbitrarily held.
“What does that mean?'' asked James. “You no longer pay pet fees. Now, if your pet does damage to your quarters and it’s assessed, you’ll have to pay that, but right now, pet fees have been waived.”
The Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights also highlights five important responsibilities for service members and their families while they reside in privatized family housing. James went over those as well, such as reporting environmental safety or health hazards in the home, and maintaining standard upkeep of the home.
He said, “We want to make sure our tenants are respectful of Army housing, because as we know, many families will use the same quarters over the years, so we want to make sure we preserve these assets for the follow-on families who live in those quarters."
James told the virtual audience that many of the rights came from feedback gathered from housing surveys conducted over the years. He said although the Fall 2020 Resident Satisfaction Survey is currently delayed across the Army, he encourages residents to complete it when it is available.
“The Army has heard you through these surveys in the past and I ask you to please continue to leverage this [platform],” he said. “The Army senior leaders are listening to your concerns about housing.”
James also provided an update on outstanding issues from the previous housing town hall, such as pedestrian safety near Milam Elementary School – a topic he plans to discuss in a virtual environment prior to schools reopening, and the completion of a sidewalk behind Milam Youth Center, which is scheduled to be constructed during the upcoming fiscal year.
New Balfour Beatty Communities Project Director Phil Wrobel also discussed upcoming projects. He laid out a five-year plan, which was approved locally and submitted to the Department of the Army in August. Proposed development includes: HVAC and duct replacement, landscaping in various neighborhoods, exterior painting and roofing, as well as refurbishments and renovations to playgrounds and basketball courts. Wrobel said the budget for this work is approximately $20 million, and if approved, is projected to begin in spring 2021.
Jessica Holston, BBC community manager, discussed COVID-19 safety protocols in place, such as virtual tours and contactless options for move-in and move-out processes. She also thanked residents for using the resident portal for placing routine work orders, and reminded them to call the office for urgent and emergent issues.
Following the update, James opened the floor to Facebook comments. He addressed the first one himself because he said it was “near and dear to his heart” – the planned improvements to Haan Road. James happily reported that the main Fort Bliss thoroughfare will be repaved during the upcoming fiscal year and drivers will also see new sensor-based traffic lights installed soon.
Other topics discussed included: pet nuisances, maintenance technicians arriving with little to no prior notice, baseball field maintenance, playground shade, and new crosswalks. The full quarterly housing town hall video is available on the Fort Bliss, Texas Facebook page at @FortBlissGarrison.
At the end of the forum James reminded the Fort Bliss community that he hosts a weekly Facebook virtual update every Tuesday at 11 a.m., which includes subject matter experts from around the installation, to include BBC.
“We are working together to make sure we have the best housing available, not only for our Soldiers and families now, but for our Soldiers and families in the future,” he said. “Across the Army a lot of good energy has been put into making our housing the best available and here at Fort Bliss we are blessed with some great family housing – some of the best in the Army and a great partner in BBC.”
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2020 22:43 |
| Story ID: | 379941 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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