Howell’s efforts rewarded: Mayor named ‘Public Official of the Year’

By Dan Whisenhunt
Anniston Star Staff Writer, 08-09-2007

Anniston Mayor Chip Howell’s efforts to get McClellan in the line for federal money to clean the former fort earned him the title of “Public Official of the Year” last week.

Howell, who is vice chairman of the Joint Powers Authority redeveloping McClellan, got the award at the annual Association of Defense Communities (ADC) conference in Miami.

The ADC has more than 1,200 members nationwide representing communities with closed military bases or a strong military presence.

Since the U.S. Army transferred 4,692 acres of environmentally contaminated McClellan property to the JPA in 2003, Howell has helped secure around $215 million to clean it, ADC members say.

Fred Meurer, the city manager of Monterey, Calif. and past ADC president, said even though Fort Ord in Monterey closed in 1994, the cleanup and redevelopment efforts there are neck and neck with McClellan, which closed in 1999.

“(Mayor Howell) really spearheaded the negotiations with the Army (for cleanup money) which is absolutely keystone for putting that property back to productive use,” Meurer said.

Meurer said the award is not given every year and is usually reserved for when ADC members identify an elected official who has “done an extraordinary job with base reuse.”

JPA planner Miki Schneider, who is vice president of ADC, said Howell was tenacious in his pursuit of additional money. The federal government recently committed $151 million to finish cleanup of the property.

In an e-mail message Wednesday, Howell thanked the ADC for the honor.

“I am humbled and honored to be recognized out of many very dedicated public servants,” Howell said. “We are doing good things and I am proud that the collective efforts have been recognized for their forethought and vision.”

Reprinted from The Anniston Star (www.annistonstar.com). Used with permission from Consolidated Publishing Co. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Learn more about the Association of Defense Communities at www.defensecommunities.org