2006 ICMA Program Excellence Award

Community Partnerships

	Small communities in the Great Plains typically face the challenge of declining population and tax base.  However, in the seven counties and 102 communities surrounding Fort Riley, Kansas exactly the opposite is happening.  These local governments face dramatic increases in population, needs for services and infrastructure, and demand for housing due to the increase in troop numbers, accompanying families, and civilian workforce that will result from Fort Riley realignment.  The response has been the creation of the Kansas Lt. Governor’s Task Force, a regional and state partnership working cooperatively to leverage the strengths of large and small communities, changing the traditional parochial relationships and providing a model for multi-jurisdictional collaboration.  
Problem Assessment
	Communities that are neighbors to military bases recognize the significance of these facilities to local economies.  In its 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations, the U.S. Department of Defense recommended changes at Fort Riley, Kansas that are having dramatic impacts on the communities surrounding the historic post.  The relocation of military personnel from Europe, Korea and continental U.S. locations creates both challenges and opportunities for Fort Riley and for the surrounding counties and communities.
	The magnitude of the change is unprecedented in rural Great Plains communities.  The addition of soldiers, their families, the expanded civilian workforce, combined with business growth in the communities will nearly double the regional population in the near future.
	Current military population	Expected additional population	
Military	9,933	9,754	
Family members	12,151	13,655	
    on post	7,921	0	
    off post	4,230	13,655	
Retirees	19,195		
Civilian	4,813	1,988	
			
Total population	46,092 (2005)	71,489 (expected total population)	
	This change brings both challenges and opportunities.  The opportunities are tied to the economic growth the increased population represents to the region. From the construction projects that will make the population growth achievable to the expanded services new residents will need, the Fort Riley region will witness an unprecedented level of economic prosperity.  
	However, the challenges are daunting.  Preparing adequate housing for the many new residents in the area, as well as providing the necessary infrastructure to accommodate new and expanding business operations, stretches the capacity of small communities.  Although Fort Riley is renovating most of its on-post housing, officials estimate that 6,000 additional housing units are needed in the surrounding communities.  The population growth is expected to result in 14,000 additional cars using the local roadways.  And all this will be occurring not in the space of decades, but within five years. 
Implementation and costs	
	The 2005 BRAC announcement expanding the mission of Fort Riley came after months of study and consideration at the federal level.  During this time, the communities in area were not waiting idly.  Facing the potential of radical change, they identified seven critical areas that needed to be addressed–housing, schools, roads, workforce, land use, medical, and airports.  At the state level, officials also recognized that planning for an impact of this magnitude could not be delayed and that a partnership between state and local government was needed. Kansas Lt. Governor John Moore announced the formation of a Task Force on December 8, 2004 that brought together state leaders, local officials, Fort Riley leaders, and the private sector.  Subcommittees were organized in the following areas.
Subcommittee	Members	
Housing					President, Kansas Development Finance Authority
City Managers	
Schools	Past Kansas Senate Majority Leader
16 Area School Superintendents	
Roads	Kansas Secretary of Transportation
Local Units of Government	
Workforce	Kansas Department of Commerce
Technical Colleges and schools
Local Chamber of Commerce/Economic Development organizations	
Childcare	Kansas and Local Social and Rehabilitation Services representatives
School Superintendents	

	  As each subcommittee identified strategic action steps to meet the identified needs, the Task Force set the direction with a regular series of meetings that provided updates on subcommittee work and maintained a strong communication network between local and state entities.  The Task Force has met six times during the past year, each meeting led by the Lt. Governor, clearly demonstrating the significance of the partnership.  At the same time, the subcommittees expanded involvement at the local level and implemented plans to create a new spirit of collaboration among communities.  Community leaders set strong examples of working together in new ways to accomplish the goals and support our military.
Tangible results/measurable outcomes
	In each community, measurable change has taken place–some independently and some the result of collaborative efforts.  Resources have been leveraged within communities, between communities and between state and local governments.  However, the most significant outcomes of the Lt. Governor’s Task Force have been new partnerships that have produced results that no single entity could achieve on its own.     			
!	The state received a Department of Labor National Emergency Grant to prepare an economic and employment strategic plan identifying specific actions to address key economic development and employment issues in this region and another in Kansas impacted by the BRAC.  Planning for this grant was the collaborative effort of participants on the Task Force.
!	In November and December 2005, county groups of civic, chamber and school leaders participated in vision and leadership training, followed by multi-county discussions to establish new tools for partnership and to improve trust and communication.
!	In January 2006, the Junction City and Manhattan Chambers of Commerce held their first joint retreat of Chamber members and local government officials in history.  The Pottawatomie County officials also participated. A joint presentation by Manhattan, Junction City, Pottawatomie County and Fort Riley updated participants on Task Force activities.  The date has been set for the 2007 joint retreat. 
!	A regional website, developed by the Workforce subcommittee, was opened Jan.1, 2006.   The website,  provides employment, relocation, and quality of life for the seven counties in the region.
!	The City Managers of Junction City and Manhattan, both members of the Housing Subcommittee, developed and widely delivered a joint presentation on housing, showing 3,400 units in Junction City and 2,400 in Manhattan in various stages of development.  Smaller communities in the region also report significant housing development. 
!	School District Superintendents from the16 districts in the area have held monthly meetings since January 2005 to examine capacity issues and growth strategies.
!	School District Coalition members lobbied the Kansas Legislature to pass HB 2059 which provides a second count date to account for new students arriving, primarily from military families, after the established count date of September 20.  This has a significant effect on funding for local school districts.
Lessons learned
	The catalyst provided by Fort Riley expansion has resulted in collaboration across political and geographic boundaries that many lifelong residents in the area would say is impossible.  The state is working as an equal partner with local units of government.  Communities that have regarded each other as competitors are now looking for ways to work together.  As more interaction has taken place, more commonalities have been found.  Community leaders and constituents are working together in new ways to accomplish shared goals.  Participation in the Lt. Governor’s Task Force has opened a door and provides a model for community cooperation that is the future for small cities and rural communities and transferable to any community experiencing rapid change.