Patriots Alliance assures fort employees of support

S. Thomas Gagliano

Frank C. Muzzi

Guest Column

The entire state, as well as the communities immediately surrounding Fort Monmouth, have an interest in what happens to the thousands of people who work for Fort Monmouth and what happens to the property there.

The Patriots Alliance Inc. was created in 2003 to support the Fort Monmouth community when it became obvious the latest Base Realignment and Closure Commission was targeting this valuable facility for closure.

The Patriots Alliance strongly disagreed with the Department of Defense decision to close Fort Monmouth, but now that the decision has been made, we will do everything possible to actively support the civilian and military employees there and the many contractors whose employees do work for the military.

The Patriots Alliance wants to assure 5,000 employees at Fort Monmouth and the 3,000 to 4,000 employees of contractors that work with the military community that every effort will be made to retain jobs and create new ones through the wise reuse of the 1,100 acres of valuable land at Fort Monmouth.

In addition, employees need to know that their jobs will not be transferred in the immediate future. The work being done at Fort Monmouth will continue to be vital to the fighting men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world for several years. It is estimated that it will be 2011 before the closure takes place.

In the meantime, the Patriots Alliance is pleased the Legislature and Gov. Jon Corzine have created a Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority to oversee the reuse of the Fort Monmouth property. The authority will have the capability to look at all possible uses for the 1,100-plus acres of land. The authority will represent all interests, consider all possibilities, and decide the course of future action that benefits the people working there and the surrounding communities.

The Patriots Alliance has long supported the concept behind an Economic Planning Revitalization Authority. The legislation was sponsored by Sens. Joseph Kyrillos, Ellen Karcher and Joseph A. Palaia, and Assemblymen Michael J. Panter, Sean T. Kean and Samuel D. Thompson, and 17 other legislators on a bipartisan basis.

A comprehensive, broad-based approach must be taken to decide how to best safeguard the people connected with Fort Monmouth.

The authority will ensure the proper planning, implementation and oversight of that redevelopment. The authority's creation will protect the economy, environment and quality of life of the affected communities, as well as that of all New Jersey.

The mayors of Tinton Falls, Eatontown and Oceanport have seats and voting authority on the authority, as will members appointed by the governor, a local business representative, and state representatives with expertise in labor issues, environmental issues and redevelopment and real estate issues.

There are currently several other federal and state agencies located on the Fort Monmouth property, including FEMA, the VA and the FBI. The Patriots Alliance would like to see these facilities expanded and other agencies join them.

There also are a wide variety of other possible uses that can be considered for this valuable property that will retain or increase the job base.

The Patriots Alliance is dedicated to the same goal it has always had, which is to protect the people and the jobs that are located at Fort Monmouth. Now what is needed is to determine the best possible use of the 1,100 acres of Fort Monmouth, while taking everyone's interests into consideration.

S. Thomas Gagliano and Frank C. Muzzi are co-chairs of the Patriots Alliance Inc., a not-for-profit corporation created to advocate for the Fort Monmouth community.