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Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, supporting the efforts of the regional coalition to retain military base facilities in Allegheny County, and further, calling on the U.S. Department of Defense and the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to keep the 911th Airlift Wing, 99th Regional Readiness Center, and the 171st Air Refueling Wing open and operating.
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WHEREAS, the Pentagon is preparing to close up to a quarter of the nation's 425 bases and is expected to release a list of recommended closings by May 16th; the recommendations will then be provided to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission appointed by the President for review and further recommendations before being presented to the President by September 8th and then on to Congress for final approval; and
WHEREAS, urban encroachment on existing bases is considered to be a major drawback - a concern that doesn't exist in Allegheny County as the Allegheny County Airport Authority set aside land adjacent to the military bases near Pittsburgh International Airport to give the three installations headquartered there (the 171st Air Refueling Wing, the 911th Military Airlift Group, and the 99th Regional Readiness Command) additional land if needed; and
WHEREAS, a coalition of interested parties in this region have been working proactively to retain the military operations and services in Allegheny County; members include the Military Affairs Council of Western Pennsylvania, the Allegheny County Airport Authority, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, local veterans groups, the Chief Executive, and members of the Allegheny County Congressional Delegation including Congresswoman Hart and Congressmen Doyle, Murtha, and Murphy; and
WHEREAS, the presence of the three military operations and services in Allegheny County is of great value to this community as an economic engine for the region, pumping more than $8 billion of economic activity each year into Pennsylvania communities, including payroll and contracts with local firms; Pennsylvania is home to the nation's largest National Guard and thousands of troops are currently serving our nation overseas; and
WHEREAS, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission is required, by statute, to treat all military installations equally and are looking specifically at each installation's current and future mission capabilities and the impact on operational readiness of the total force, including the impact on joint warfighting, training and readiness; our local units serve as a focal point for the defense and homeland security facilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania, are important to the military's mission, and have been documented to be cost-effective units; and
WHEREAS, the Military Affairs Council, as a member of the coalition, has commissioned a study that will not only review the military value and mission of retaining military facilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but will also discuss specific opportunities that exist at the airport for military operations expansion that would benefit the Department of Defense and Homeland Security;
WHEREAS, Allegheny County Council desires to support the Coalition and join other officials such as U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, and State Senator John Pippy and State Representative Mark Mustio who represent the airport area, in their support of the Coalition and its mission;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
SECTION 1.
Allegheny County Council supports the efforts of the regional coalition to retain military base facilities in Allegheny County, and further, calls on the U.S. Department of Defense and the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to keep the 911th Airlift Wing, 99th Regional Readiness Center, and the 171st Air Refueling Wing open and operating.
SECTION 2. If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 3. Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Resolution is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.