District 8 Councilman's Statement On The Acceptance Of Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant New Project

San Antonio TX

04 June, 2022

12:03 PM

Description

Press release from the City of San Antonio: Thursday, June 2, 2022 CONTACT: Erin Nichols, 210-207-2881 [email protected] SAN ANTONIO (June 2, 2022) — Today, City Council approved the authorization of $5,000,000 in state funds through the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant and matching funds from San Antonio Water System (SAWS), CPS Energy, and the City of San Antonio. Following the vote, Councilman Pelaez issued the following statement: "Through a partnership between SAWS, CPS Energy, and the City of San Antonio, this infrastructure grant will fund several projects essential to supporting our community's military installations, missions, and personnel. Reflecting our commitment and support of Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) and our military community, these projects include backup power generation for critical water facilities, reinforced stormwater crossings along perimeter fencing to increase security for servicemembers and their families at bases, and buried electrical distribution lines to remove vertical obstruction hazards and enhance the safety of flight crews and surrounding civilian communities. Winter Storm Uri made evident the need for backup power generation to support water production facilities serving our city and JBSA. These grant-funded projects will address vulnerabilities in water supply so that we can better support and protect the missions led at our city's vital military assets. As the Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, I will continue to work with our local stakeholders and state and federal advocates to tell San Antonio's story and bring our tax dollars back home to fund essential projects here in Military City, U.S.A. The District 8 Office extends many thanks to our partners at SAWS and CPS Energy, our Government Affairs Department and Military and Veterans Affairs Department, and Major General Ayala--whose advocacy in Austin continues to stress the importance of this program to our state leadership and results in the funding needed for these impactful projects in support of our military community." The Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance grant is a state-issued infrastructure grant designed to assist communities impacted by Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in developing infrastructure to support military missions essential to national defense. This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author's own.