The head of the Defense Logistics Agency says he wants Defense Depot Ogden to be a model for other base closures and has already taken steps to reduce the number of jobs lost and to allow replacement firms to move in quickly.
On another front, Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, says plans by President Clinton to block transfer to Hill Air Force base of missions from other closing bases will likely be thwarted next week by upset members of a key congressional panel.But bringing good news Thursday about DDO for Hansen and the Hill/DDO '95 community support group was Vice Adm. Edward Straw, director of the Defense Logistics Agency.
Straw told them in a meeting at Hansen's office that his agency has firmly decided to keep DDO's deployable medical units - similar to MASH hospitals - in the Ogden area, either at DDO (if the Army, which owns the ground, approves) or at Hill Air Force Base.
"That's roughly 242 jobs. That's 54 more jobs than we thought it was going to be a couple of weeks ago. The workload has increased to the extent that right away, we can save 54 jobs," Straw told the Deseret News after the meeting.
Also, Straw's agency figures only about 300 people will actually lose jobs from the closure of DDO after transfers to other bases, early retirements and jobs saved by keeping the deployable medical unit mission in northern Utah.
"That's a far cry from the 1,100 jobs we've been talking about," said Mike Pavich, head of the Hill/DDO '95 group, who adds that replacement private companies may easily create that many new jobs.
Straw said DDO will empty its warehouses and transfer work to bases incrementally over the next two years and should totally close by September 1997. However, Straw said some buildings may be turned over for possible use by private companies before then.
"Our goal would be to turn over a warehouse or building as soon as we are finished with it, rather than waiting until we are totally cleaned out," Straw said.
Straw said a committee is being formed between the Defense Logistics Agency (which operates DDO), the Army (which owns the land) and the community to help attract new businesses to the facility, and to resolve problems that arise.
Pavich said his group is just beginning the process of seeking new tenants for the base, "but there is interest."
Hansen said, "That particular area of Weber and Davis counties is growing by leaps and bounds. Look what happened at Clearfield and the Navy depot. When that was made the Freeport Center, every one of those big old buildings was remodeled . . . and people are standing in line to get there."
Hansen predicted, "This thing is going to take off . . .. I think it's going to be one of the most exciting things that northern Utah has seen in an awfully long time."
On another front, Hansen said Clinton's effort to privatize in-place missions at the closing McClellan Air Force Base in California and Kelly Air Force Base in Texas will likely be thwarted next week by Congress.
If those missions cannot be kept in place by giving them to contractors - as Clinton promised voters in those states - many of them would be transferred to Hill, creating many jobs there.
However, Hansen says Clinton would need to change at least four major contracting and other laws - and he expects a House-Senate panel working out this years defense bills to refuse to change them in votes next week.
He said ranking Republicans and Democrats on key committees in the House and Senate have predicted the changes will be rejected.
"It's just not going to happen," said Hansen, who sits on the House National Security Committee. "This Congress isn't going to change the law. There's going to be some very disappointed folks at McClellan and also Kelly."