Teamwork, proper planning keys to fiscal year close out

  • Published
  • By Rhonda Siciliano
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Teamwork and well planned execution helped to make the closeout of fiscal year 2007 a success, and brought Hanscom some much-needed money for base improvement projects.

"Despite it being a tight fiscal year we were able to address some badly needed budget requirements with the $16.4 million in end-of-year funding that we received," said Maj. Robert White, 66th Comptroller Squadron commander.

"This was a team effort; customers did a great job of identifying their requirements while the contracting and comptroller personnel worked long hours, including weekends, to get everything properly executed," said Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base Wing commander. "The end-of-year funding was a tremendous help in getting some of the known infrastructure requirements taken care of, but it's really just a drop in the bucket when compared to our unfunded requirements."

Included in the end-of-year allocations was $447,000 from the Electronic Systems Center Corporate Board for Hanscom Workplace Initiative projects designed to improve deteriorating work center environments for employees.

To mitigate shortfalls in the FY '08 budget, base officials obligated $4.6 million in end-of-year funds to pay for or 'buy down' contracts for such things as maintenance, facility operations, service contracts and custodial work. This frees up fiscal year 2008 dollars to overcome projected shortfalls in some areas.

Included among the end of year-funded projects were $5.9 million in needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades that will improve the quality of life for the entire base community. Included in that amount is $2 million to repair the roof on building 1614.

Some of the other projects funded included repaving the Youth Center parking lot and the access road to the Fitness Center parking lot, repairing the roof in the base pool locker room, which has been leaking for a couple of years, and repairing bowling center equipment that has frequently failed causing lanes to be closed to customers.

Base leaders obligated additional dollars to relocate the Veterinary Treatment Facility from its current location in building 1219, next to the Airmen and Family Readiness Center, to a larger location in the old Family Fitness building next to the former alternate fitness center.

"We were well prepared and aligned with AFMC priorities to ensure that any end-of -year funding was properly executed," Major White said. "Fiscal year '07 was a tough one, but we're expecting the new fiscal year to be even tougher."