Commissioners Green Light $8.8 Million Goodfellow AFB Grant Project

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Goodfellow Air Force Base is expanding its missions with a multi-million dollar grant from the Governor’s Office which will be administered by the Tom Green County Commissioner’s Court.  

Commissioners on Tuesday accepted a Memorandum Of Understanding between the County and the City of San Angelo Development Corporation to administer the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) from the Governor’s office for $4.5 million.  The Development Corporation will kick in an additional $1.5 million and the military will add $2.8 million in kind.

The project will include expanding GAFB’s dining facility by 150 seats and renovating two buildings to accommodate intelligence and firefighting training missions.  According to information presented to the court, $2.7 million of the DEAAG grant is earmarked for new construction and $1.8 million will go to rehabilitating existing buildings.  

The County has just completed a similar grant project renovating two buildings at Goodfellow.  Chamber of Commerce interim President Mike Boyd told the Court the Chamber of Commerce is exploring the next phase of grant construction at GAFB which will include 96 new housing units at a cost of $30 million that will not require any funds from the County.  

County Judge Steve Floyd said that according to information from the Governor’s office, statewide military spending has three times the economic impact of agriculture but is still less than the impact of oil and gas production.  

Tuesday morning’s meeting included a powerpoint presentation about the Civil Air Patrol.  Lt. Col Gary Nussey described for the court the mission of the Civil Air Patrol and the role it played in relief efforts during and after Hurricane Harvey.  

In other business, County facilities director Don Killam told commissioners that contractors at the new fail site have erected about half of the concrete tilt walls and have about 230 tilt walls left to pour and erect.  Killam said the already approved portion of the project is on track and within budget.  

All Tom Green County offices will be closed on Monday in observance of President’s Day.  And early voting for the March 6 primary election begins in the Keyes Building on Tuesday Feb. 20.