Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
She Says The Project Is Going Forward, But There Is A Delay
Nebraska senior U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, right, meets with Kimball Mayor John Morrison, second from left, and Kerry Ferguson, left, of Kimball Health Services during her visit here Aug. 16. She listened to concerns from the community about the overall relationship with the Air Force regarding the Sentinel missile project.
About 20 people attended a special meeting of the Kimball County Commissioners on Friday, Aug. 16, with U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer to discuss the public perception of the Sentinel missile project.
Fischer spent almost an hour listening to how the project is going in the Kimball area.
The senator said that her office has had "really good meetings and updates from the Air Force, also from Northrop and Bechtel."
Throughout the meeting, Fischer stated that the country needs this missile project, and that it is vital for national security. Her philosophy is "peace through strength."
According to the senator, the Sentinel will be the biggest project that the Department of Defense has ever tackled. She said the project is going forward, although there is a delay. She told the Observer that she did not know how long the delay might last, and that is a matter that the Air Force handles.
Fischer began by reviewing the understanding of the slowdown in the Sentinel timetable, mostly due to the overrun on costs and the review by Congress.
She explained that in some of the studies that have been done, reuse of the silos is in question. She said they have found that the water tables have changed and made a few of the silos unusable therefore increasing costs. There are lots of issues that were not anticipated.
Kimball County Commissioner Rich Flores said the communication with the Air Force has been "fantastic. We have monthly meetings."
Other officials expressed concerns, beginning with Sheriff Dave Hottell.
Hottell said, "My big concern is I look at the environmental impact statement that was put out by the Air Force that states that we will need 17 additional (law enforcement) officers in the area. I talked to the Air Force about it and they said they cannot fund local government." Hottell went on to say that it is a huge increase in his staff and he doesn't know where the funding would come from.
Other concerns came from Kimball Mayor John Morrison. He explained that Kimball definitely wants the workforce hub located here, but he said, "We do not have the infrastructure to handle it. All we have been asking for is give us some information so we that we can prepare for that. And it has been a real struggle to get that information out of ... the Air Force. Most of the time the Air Force says you have to talk to Northrop. Northrop says they don't have any definite plans, so we can't really give you an answer. So that has been our frustration and challenge."
Morrison went on to explain that Kimball has seen no growth in the last 25 years and has an older infrastructure. He said 80% of the waterlines are 4 inch lines and the sewer lines also are not up to code. He said the city just wants information, but he added, "We don't have the money to update the infrastructure."
Fischer responded to the concerns of both Hottell and Morrison with that was why she was here – to get information and make it an easier transition.
After the official commissioners meeting ended, Fischer stayed for some time, taking pictures and chatting with individuals.
Fischer is a senior member of the Senator Armed Services Committee and repeatedly expressed her commitment to defend the nation against foreign threats.
She was first elected in November 2012. Fischer served one six-year term, then was re-elected in November 2018. She is running this year for another six year term.
