A Weekly Note from Mayor Gary L. Graham
“Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking”
In early August I had the wonderful experience of traveling to Virginia to participate in a Community Days event that was held for Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) employees.
As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, the SDDC unit is relocating to Scott Air Force Base (SAFB). SDDC is the Army component of U.S. Transportation Command and is responsible for managing the surface movement of troops and cargo. The air and sea movement of troops and cargo is already coordinated at Scott, so this new unit is a great fit for SAFB.
The organizational restructuring will involve the relocation of approximately 800 SDDC employees (many of whom are civil servants) from the Washington, D.C., area to SAFB. To educate SDDC employees about what amenities the Metro East region has to offer, a “Community Days” event was held on August 2nd and 3rd. Approximately 500 SDDC families participated in the event and took advantage of the opportunity to talk with local community leaders.
I think the event went very well and I was proud of the representation from O’Fallon. In addition to my attendance, the O’Fallon delegation included representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, schools and numerous local businesses. We talked with SDDC employees about O’Fallon’s great schools, churches, and culture, as well as our proximity to St. Louis. There were people that were apprehensive about moving halfway across the country to Southwestern Illinois but there were also people who have already purchased homes in the area. The goal is to get at least 50 percent of the 800 to make the move, but I believe we may see at least 80 percent.
The event was an excellent opportunity to highlight our region and to visibly demonstrate our support of the military community. SDDC employees will begin arriving in the area by January 2007 and will be a wonderful addition to our community.
The strong working relationship between City Hall and the residents we serve is yet another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
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