Utilities, storm shelters lead discussion at housing meeting

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  How utilities will be handled topped the list of resident concerns addressed at the Vance Housing Privatization Partnering meeting held Feb. 18 in the Professional Development Center auditorium. 

Also on the list was flow of information to the base residents, what renovations will include and storm shelters. 

According to Jim Bishop, the Assistant Community Director of Pinnacle Hunt Privatized Housing, homes will be individually metered to determine an average use of utilities based on bedroom number and size. For a period of time, likely one year, mock billing will gather information on an appropriate utility allowance per each unit. 

That monthly utility allowance will be deducted from residents' rent each month, said Mr. Bishop. The utility allowance will be re-calculated annually based on previous years' average provided by the local utility providers. 

Residents who use less than the utility allowance will receive a rebate. Those using more will have to pay the difference, said Mr. Bishop. 

Housing residents have voiced a concern that Pinnacle Hunt is not getting timely information about issues and events, said Mr. Bishop. "We now plan events out 30 days so we can send out information to residents at the beginning of each month," he said. 

Emergency information will be provided to residents as soon as PH receives it, Mr. Bishop added. "We will use mass e-mail, reverse 911 and send flyers door-to-door," he said. Reverse 911 is a system that leaves a message on residents' phones that are on file in the PH office. 

Renovation of existing homes, scheduled to start in June, will include major work, said Mr. Bishop. The renovations include covering exposed interior brick walls and exposed wood ceilings with gypsum board, re-covering kitchen countertops, new vanity cabinets, countertops and sinks in bathrooms, and replacing bathroom accessories and mirrors.
Interior doors and hardware will be replaced with paneled doors. Interior light fixtures will be replaced and cabinets will be added above washer and dryer. 

Walls and ceilings throughout the homes will be painted and flooring throughout will be replaced with carpet and vinyl. New baseboard trim will be installed. 

Furnaces, condensing units and water heaters will be replaced and new exterior light fixtures and lighted address numbers will be added. Exterior doors will be replaced and carports will be converted to garages with auto-opening doors. Exterior trash screens will be installed. 

"Some of these items are subject to change," said Mr. Bishop. "We are looking into possible changes to better the quality of the homes." 

Renovation will be done on 153 of the Capehart homes and 18 will be demolished, said Mr. Bishop. 

The first nine of the newly constructed homes are within 120 days of occupation, said Ron Hanson, the on-site building manager for the Hunt Company. The nine homes, for field grade officers, will include two four-bedroom and seven three-bedroom homes. "There are five different floor plans among those nine homes," he said. 

Mr. Hanson pointed out that budget constraints will prevent the building of a pool next to the new community center, which is about 50 percent complete. 

The new-construction homes, which in addition to the field grade homes, include five senior officer and 16 company grade officer homes, have built-in storm shelters. A housing resident at the meeting questioned the fairness of shelters in new homes when there are no plans to put shelters in existing homes during the renovation. 

According to Andrew Ditter, the Air Force contracted residence construction manager, adding a storm shelter to existing housing during renovation would add significant cost to the contract. 

"Storm shelters for renovated housing are on our 'wish list' to Air Education and Training Command," said Tracy House, with the Vance Housing Management Office. The wish list includes additional projects for the housing area that are not currently funded. "Six bases are vying for additional funds when they come available," said Mr. House. 

Water softeners are another wish list item, said Mr. Bishop. The new-construction homes will be plumbed for water softeners but no water softeners will be installed. The water softeners will be at a resident's expense unless it is approved by senior leadership on a case-by-case basis. Renovated homes will not be plumbed for water softeners, said Mr. Bishop. 

When residents are selected to move into new or renovated homes, a partial "do-it-yourself" move will be authorized, said Irene Blazio, Vance's Housing Program manager. Residents can also get their "partial storage" moved into the new home, but all items must be taken out, she said. 

The next Quarterly Partnering meeting will be held at 1 p.m., March 12, in the Wing Conference Room, Bldg. 500. Attendance will be limited to tenant representatives.