PANAMA CITY — Officials with the Bay Defense Alliance encouraged members of the local business community Wednesday to support a proposal from Tyndall Air Force Base that would allow restriction of certain waterway zones in the event of a serious security threat.
Alliance member Glen McDonald served as the keynote speaker at the monthly Bay County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) investors meeting, providing an update on the happenings in the local defense community, with the waterway proposal poised as one of the most important issues.
“This waterway security plan started back in 2003, right after the Sept. 11 attacks,” McDonald said. “The vulnerability associated with Tyndall is very unique because it’s surrounded by water on three sides.”
Since receiving public backlash over the proposal, Tyndall has re-examined the proposal after conducting a series of public hearings, McDonald said.
“Day to day nothing will change — nobody will be boarded; nobody’s IDs will be checked,” he said, citing certain “zones” that could be shut only in the event of a major threat. “Their fear is, if they don’t have a plan like this, what are they going to do if this happens? It’s a huge challenge for the commander.”
If those zones were shut down, McDonald said the base would conduct a 48-hour review period to determine if the waterways could be reopened, something that came by public request during the hearings.
Bay County Chamber President and Bay Defense Alliance member Carol Roberts said the change shows Tyndall’s willingness to be flexible.
“We have the largest fleet of F-22s in the world sitting out there, and we’ve got to protect them,” Roberts said. “I really encourage folks to become better informed. The document is out there for review.”
The Bay Defense Alliance, comprised of 30 volunteer members, was formed in 1992 with a mission to protect local military installations from Base Realignment and Closure efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense, which have led to the closure of more than 300 bases since 1989. During base realignments in 1993, 1994 and 2005, efforts by the alliance were successful and actually led to job gains at local military installations, McDonald said.
McDonald’s presentation also reviewed the impact Bay County’s military bases have on the local economy.
“I’m also going to show you, from an EDA perspective, how important it is in dollars,” he said. “I think when you see these slides, you’ll be very surprised at the amount of money the military provides in our county and all of Northwest Florida.”
Citing data from a 2013 report from the University of West Florida’s Haas Center, McDonald said the military supports more than 27,000 jobs out of a workforce of about 80,000 and drives 31 percent of the dollar flow in Bay County.
“It’s extremely important that we hold on to these jobs and give them a place to live and work,” he said.
EDA project update
During Wednesday’s meeting, EDA President Becca Hardin also provided an update on the organization’s activity over the last two months.
“Our theme for this year is to generate a buzz around Bay County in 2015,” said Hardin, referencing an aggressive marketing effort to advertise the area’s product. “We are looking at having some quick successes. We are seeing an increase in project leads and website hits.”
Hardin reviewed 11 active projects, including two new projects the EDA is working. She described “Project Clover,” a manufacturing project that would bring 100 to 150 new jobs to the area, as one officials have their eye on because it “makes sense for Bay County.”
“We’re just trying to throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see if something will stick,” Hardin said. “We’re going to throw so much against the wall that something is going to stick very soon.”