New base houses, programs discussed at town hall Published Jan. 16, 2008 By Capt. Jessica Martin Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Col. Michael Bartley, 99th Air Base Wing commander, and Pinnacle Management hosted a town hall meeting here Jan. 15 to update housing residents on privatization issues, including the utility responsibility program, the recycling program, resident communication channels, and the development plan and construction schedule. Two major issues discussed were Basic Allowance Housing and utility payments. BAH for base residents will now cover rent, utilities, and $5,000 of personal and $100,000 of liability renter's insurance. With the new utility responsibility program, residents will pay an out of pocket expense if they go above their home's designated monthly allowance. If they remain under the allowance, they will receive a check for the difference. Each house style's heating/cooling allowance was determined by a third-party engineering firm, which assessed multiple variables. To help ease residents into this new system, Pinnacle will hold a mock billing session for six months before "live" bills are sent out. This will enable residents to decide how to regulate their electricity usage. For instance, after seeing the first mock bill, residents might decide to set their air conditioners at 78 degrees rather than 76 degrees if they want to get money back at the end of the month, said Gina Slater, Pinnacle Management. Residents might pay more in the summer months because of the extreme weather, and might save money during the winter months--the program is set up to come out evenly at the end of the year so residents won't pay anything out of pocket, she said. Residents were also informed of the new recycling program which began Jan. 7 with weekly pickups. In an effort to make it more convenient for residents, refuse can now be commingled in the 96-gallon wheeled carts provided. To foster resident feedback and interaction, Pinnacle has plans to establish a Resident Council, a 12-person committee made up of residents representative of the housing community which would meet monthly to discuss issues and concerns with management. Council initiatives include coordinating community activities, providing a neighborhood watch program and establishing a Youth Council. Council member nominations can be submitted to Pinnacle via their website or in office. Pinnacle also welcomes resident feedback through the Good Neighbor Corner, by visiting their website, calling or stopping into the office. The town hall meeting also covered demolition and construction schedules. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic in Manch Manor is still being rerouted through Dec. 2008, with portions of Salmon, Deichalmann, Kozak and Bartley drives, Strunk and Riggs parkways separating the northern part of Manch Manor from the southern part. "I'm still working to build a temporary road connecting Manch Manor; I'm looking at all options to decide what's best for the community," said Colonel Bartley. "I stopped the concrete pour for the skate park because I couldn't justify spending the funds on that instead of a temporary road to alleviate traffic." Families in the path of demolition will be the first to move into their new homes, scheduled for mid-March. Residents had a chance to see displays of floor plans and color schemes at the town hall, and there will soon be a model home available to view. For more information on housing privatization, contact Pinnacle Management at 677-3660 or visit www.nellisfamilyhousing.com.
