BRAC has already brought 500 new residents to Harford County

Harford County Executive David Craig told a crowd of 300 who attended last night's BRAC Town Hall meeting at the Aberdeen High School auditorium that 500 new residents have already come to Harford County as a result of BRAC, according to a report on abc2news.com. In addition, the story said:

"County officials told them that eight intersections near the Proving Ground will have to be improved, most of them along Rt. 40. Other roads that lead to the base, including Rt. 22, will have to be widened."

Officials said 8,000 new jobs would be moved from Fort Monmouth N.J. to Aberdeen Proving Ground. And, if the people who currently hold those jobs don't make the move, then there would be a lot of job openings at APG. They also said the sheriff's department staff would need to increase and the jail would need to be expanded. The county's water capacity would have to more than double by 2020.

"But Craig said Harford County residents will not be asked to pay for it all with an increase in their property taxes. 'We’re not anticipating an increase in taxes because of the capital improvements we need to make, or because of the operational improvements,' he said"

The story did not mention where the rest of the money would come from.

Big BRAC meeting coming up Monday, March 10

Transportation, schools and crime are among the topics expected to be covered during a BRAC town hall meeting scheduled 6:30 p.m. March 10 at the Aberdeen High School auditorium. A Baltimore Sun story reports speakers at the meeting are to include:

• Garrison commander Col. Jeffrey Weissman, who will give a BRAC progress report
• Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane, who will speak on safety issues
• Harford County Economic Development Director James C. Richardson, who will discuss how his office is assisting people and organizations moving to Harford County
• County Executive David R. Craig, who will lead a forum on BRAC questions

Also to be discussed are a transportation center near Aberdeen and road construction priorities and the new Homeland Security Magnet Program in Harford County schools.

The nationwide military base expansion could bring as many as 10,000 new jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground within the next three years, according to the Sun story.

The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Harford County Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059 or visit them on the web at www.harfordbusiness.org.

BRAC town meeting draws residents concerned about crime, terrorism and jobs

Last Wednesday's BRAC town hall meeting filled the Edgewood High School auditorium with people interested in hearing the update on the BRAC Action Plan, according to a story in Friday's Aegis. Forty questions came from the audience, the story said, with some focusing on crime, terrorism and jobs. Officials told the audience that a relocation of the Harford Sheriff's Office's southern precinct should help ensure the Edgewood area gets proper coverage as it grows with BRAC. They are also talking about ways to deal with gangs. Officials assured the crowd that terrorism is usually more likely in big cities and ports, the story said. And APG civilians who don't want to move with their shifting jobs, might find help by visiting the Maryland Workforce Exchange site at https://mwe.dllr.state.md.us/brac/BracContent.asp. The story also said:

"George Mercer, public information officer for APG, said he's willing to work with these civilians, as well as personnel who may be leaving and who wish to sell their property to incoming APG employees."

I know a few people in my neighborhood who were hoping to do the same thing.

BRAC Town Hall meeting

The big BRAC meeting scheduled for tonight at the Bel Air High School auditorium was to be the first in a series to be sponsored by the Harford County Office of Economic Development. A story in last week's Aegis highlighted some of the points that were likely to be covered at the meeting. They included:

• Fort Monmouth officials are working with Baltimore area colleges to recruit local graduates who would either start working at APG this summer or who would move to Fort Monmouth to start work there and later move to APG when their jobs relocate. The story said the military needs to hire 500 workers in these fields: electrical and computer engineers, computer scientists and business managers.

• APG is expecting a net gain of 8,200 jobs on post with an additional 7,500 to 10,000 jobs off post. Total new jobs in Harford County: 15,700 to 18,200.

• Most jobs will come in 2011-2012.

• Average annual salary for on-post jobs: $86,765. Total on-post payroll: $711,473,000
  

• Average annual salary for off-post jobs: $83,100. Total project annual salary: $831 million
  

• New homes expected: 1,710 to be built in Harford County each year between 2007 and 2015

• Average new home cost as of 2007: $288,956

• New property tax revenue to be generated as of 2007: $5,347,170

• Average new home cost as of 2015: $410,925

• New property tax revenue generated as of 2015: $7,602,060

• Total new homes expected in that span: 15,390

• Total new property tax revenues: $57,700,530

• Harford County is also expected to see more commercial building. According to the Aegis story, the county has 5.7 million square feet available at 11 sites: Forest Hill business parks, Park Centre at Plum Tree, Box Hill Corporate Center, Abingdon Woods, Emmorton Business Park, Carter-Mills property at the Route 543 and I-95 interchange, Water's Edge Corporate Campus, the Close property, Hickory Ridge and Hardee's business parks, Grace Harbor Office Park and Hillside Office Park in Havre de Grace.
  

BRAC Community Town Hall Meeting scheduled April 16

I've seen this notice of a BRAC town hall meeting in the local paper and at the APG Maryland at the Ready website:

Community Town Hall Meeting
at Bel Air High School Auditorium, April 16, 2007, 7-9 PM. Free and open to the public. For ADA assistance, contact Sharon Grzanka at scgrzanka@harfordcountymd.gov or 410-638-3391 one week prior to the event.

Attention Contractors:
C4ISR Pre-Solicitation Notice

Download the Notice

I'm still looking for more information on what might be on the agenda and who might be speaking. I'll post if I find out more.