Photo By Stephanie Santos | Senior leaders maintain COVID-19 mitigation protocols while fielding Facebook Live...... read more read more
Subscribe
In a year filled with uncertainty, Fort Bliss Army and housing leaders stood firm in their commitment to providing resident support during the virtual 1st quarter 2021 housing town hall meeting held at Fort Bliss, Texas, December 16, 2020.
Led by garrison commander Col. Stu James, the Facebook live event was hosted at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center with leadership adhering to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines.
As with previous quarterly meetings, James opened the forum by stating the importance of taking care of residents and providing quality housing for all Soldiers and families across the Army.
“We want to make sure we are addressing those problems that do happen in housing and we get to them quickly so they don’t fester,” he said. “These meetings are to support our community and make sure you are receiving the best housing possible.”
Residents received news from Balfour Beatty Communities Project Director Philip Wrobel who gave an update on the development plans for neighborhood community improvements. This five-year plan will focus on improvement projects including HVAC work, roofing, landscaping plumbing, and playground improvements. The $20 million project is slated to begin next spring and will continue through 2025.
In addition to these upcoming improvements, residents can also look forward to having an additional resource to voice their concerns through a brigade sponsorship program. Each housing area has been zoned by neighborhood and assigned a point of contact to discuss housing questions. For unit sponsorship assistance, call 915-744-8903, or the Army Housing Office at 915-568-2898.
Also in attendance was Fort Bliss Police Chief Mike Barnes who discussed resident safety, and stressed that many reported housing crimes are a result of “unsecured and unattended items.”
“It remains important that we lock up our vehicles and items of value,” he said. “We ask that you don’t report these crimes through social media, but call the MP station.”
Both Barnes and James stressed that while social media is an effective means to reach out to the community, it should not be used in place of calling the police and placing an official report.
Although speeding still remains an issue on the installation, Fort Bliss is tackling this problem through issuing citations. First-time offenders can lose driving privileges on post for up to 30 days and traffic surveys have been implemented. Barnes urged the community to remain vigilant and report any violations directly to the military police desk. He also added that residents must seek approval for any monetary solicitation on post from the Fort Bliss FMWR and garrison leadership.
“We need your assistance in creating a level of synergy and maintaining a safe environment for our Soldiers and their families,” said Barnes.
BBC Community Manager Jessica Holston shared how each community housing office continues to enforce safety and how BBC offices are operating under strict COVID-19 guidelines. Currently, community centers are open by appointment only. In-person appointments require all visitors to wear masks and follow social distancing.
Other COVID-19 BBC protocols include: Virtual tours and contactless options for move-in and move-out appointments, maintenance technicians completing work orders while wearing protective equipment and the addition of office hand sanitizing stations and frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces.”
Lastly, Holston brought out key factors on why residents need to complete the annual resident satisfaction survey, which is provided and mandated by the Department of Defense. Surveys have been sent via email and must be replied to by Jan 5. Residents who have not received a survey can email armysurvey@celassociates.com. Links cannot be shared and only one survey can be completed per household.
“It’s critical that you fill out the surveys -- it’s what gets reported back to me and back to the army. If we don’t receive feedback and reports, we can’t address the problem.” said James.
“The survey allows us to address issues within the community that we may not have visibility on. This is how we can address concerns and improve our community.” The full town hall video can be viewed on the Fort Bliss Facebook page https://facebook.com/FortBlissGarrison
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2021 13:24 |
| Story ID: | 387009 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Bliss leaders discuss updates, housing issues during virtual town hall, by Stephanie Santos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
