Herald/Review Published: Thursday, April 30, 2009

New funds bring total received so far to more than $23 million
By Bill Hess

FORT HUACHUCA – More than $4.5 million of federal economic recovery funds have been approved for eight construction projects aimed at making the fort more energy efficient, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ office said Wednesday.

Fort Huachuca has now received $23,033,166 in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Giffords, D-Ariz. The fort is in her 8th Congressional District.

The new stimulus funding totals $4,574,808.

The new funds will go to retrofitting an administrative building by repairing electrical, heating and air conditioning, latrines, doors and windows, changing a number of energy using lights to better “green” devices, repairing the installation energy management control system, improve a water distribution loop, replace a boiler with a wood chip boiler in the central heating plant, repair two different sewer lines and repair another boiler and insulate that building, according to Giffords’ office.

Earlier this year, the fort received $18,458,358 for 32 projects that the Army approved.

In March, the post’s director of public works, John Ruble, said many of the projects being funded have been waiting for money to let contractors start, some going back five years.

The initial funding is going to many “shovel ready” projects, something the Obama Administration wanted to support so they could start faster than going though a design phase.

C.J. Karamargin, Giffords’ spokesman, said the additional stimulus  dollars are to support upgrading infrastructure with new technology.

As the stimulus stream continues, there is a possibility additional funds may come to the fort, he added.

Of the additional funds, Garrison Commander Col. Melissa Sturgeon said, “We welcome the additional economic recovery funds. They will be put to good use to repair infrastructure shortcomings on the fort and allows us to accomplish necessary projects for sustainment of this critical installation.”