CC - Consideration of Request from LA County ot Adopt Resolution 2004-06 Opposing the closure or relocation of the LA Air Force BaseTO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS
ROSE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BILL CRR WE, CITY MANAGER
DATE: FEBRUARY 2, 2004
RE: CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2004-06 OPPOSING THE CLOSURE OR
RELOCATION OF THE LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE
Attached for your consideration is Resolution No. 2004-06 opposing the closure or relocation of
the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
went on record at their December 2, 2003 meeting as opposing the closure or relocation of the
Los Angeles Air Force Base. They are requesting that each of the 88 cities in Los Angeles
County adopt a resolution taking a similar position.
Attached is Resolution No. 2004-06 and a letter from the County Chief Administrative Officer
making the request.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2004-06 and direct the City Clerk
to send a copy to the appropriate agencies.
C-110UNC11. A07-: DA
FEB 10 2004
ITEFA No. 7Lr- eA--A
RESOLUTION NO. 2004-06
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF.
ROSEMEAD OPPOSING THE CLOSURE OR RELOCATION OF
THE LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE
WHEREAS, since the inception of the Defense Department's downsizing in 1988, California
has undergone four rounds of military base closures or realignments; and .
WHEREAS, California was the state hardest hit by spending reductions, with military
downsizing resulting in an economic loss of $9.6 billion annually and almost 100,000 jobs,
representing 60 percent of all Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) related job losses
nationally, despite housing only 15 percent of the Nation's military personnel at the beginning of
the BRAC process; and
WHEREAS, the Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB), is ideally located in the City of
El Segundo, in Los Angeles County; and _
WHEREAS, LAAFB is not a traditional military base, but a group of office buildings
housing military and civilian employees responsible for managing the development and
construction of the Nation's military space and missile systems, including many new systems
being used for Homeland Security, and
WHEREAS, the projects overseen by LAAFB currently total $60 billion in value, with
$8.5 billion in new contracts being awarded annually; and
WHEREAS, about 70 percent of this work is performed by 350 aerospace companies
and their suppliers in the Los Angeles region, generating employment for more than'67,000
persons, with the vast majority holding high-paying engineering and research positions; and
WHEREAS, the LAAFB is dependent on the close proximity of these companies and
employees, as well as the universities and other resources in the Los Angeles region; and
WHEREAS, relocating the LAAFB would not only be extremely distruptive to the Los
Angeles region, but it would result in unnecessary Federal costs, estimated at $750 million, for
relocation; and
WHEREAS, it was not the intent of Congress to force the wholesale relocation of a
major component of a region's economy, as would happen if LAAFB were moved; and
WHEREAS, the BRAC process was not intended to enable the Congressionally
supported relocation of critical military facilities from one state to another; and
WHEREAS, the County of Los Angeles, in coalition with the cities surrounding LAAFB
and the business community, have developed a creative plan to redevelop the area surrounding
LAAFB, as well as to build all new facilities for LAAFB, thus reducing the construction and
ongoing maintenance costs for the Federal Government. -
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROSEMEAD, that the President and Congress of the United States of America be
respectfully requested to support the continued operation and maintenance of LAAFB at its
current location in Los Angeles County, California.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED THIS IOT° DAY OF FEBRUARY 2004.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
City Clerk
County of Los Angeles
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
713 KENNETH HAHN HALL OF ADMINISTRATION • LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90012
(213) 974-1101
http://cao.co.1a.ca.us
DAVID E. JANSSEN Board of Supervisors
Chief Administrative Officer GLORIA MOLINA,
First District
2004
January 16
YVONNE BRATHWAITE BURKE
,
Second District
ZEV YAROSLAVSKY
Third District
DON KNABE
Fourth District
The Honorable Joe Vasquez
MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH
Fifth District
Mavor, Citv of Rosemead
P.O. Box 399
Rosemead, CA 91770
Dear Mayor Vasquez:
OPPOSITION TO CLOSURE OR RELOCATION
OF THE LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE
On December 2, 2003, the Board of Supervisors directed my office to write to the
governmental officials of the 88 cities in the County, requesting that each city consider
adoptirfg:a:formal resolution'of opposition to.the`closure or relocation:of the'Los'Angeles
Air Force Basel(LAAFB) in the` upcoming 12005"Base Realigns eht-and Closure,(BRAC)
process. A copy of=the Board's action is attached.
The LAAFB is unique in its responsibility for managing the progress and construction of
the Nation's military space and missile systems and the economic and fiscal scope of its
research and development.. The projects overseen by the LAAFB currently total
$60 billion in value, with $8.5 billion in new contracts awarded annually. About 70% of
this work goes to 350 aerospace companies and their suppliers in the Los Angeles
region, generatina employment for more than 67,000 persons, with the vast majority
holding high-paying engineering and research positions. These companies and
employees reside in all 88 of"the County's cities.
While the next round of the BRAC process is not due to begin formally until 2005, at
least three other states are already lobbying for the relocation of the LAAFB to
installations in their states. As a consequence, the Board of Supervisors believes that
we must take action now to ensure that this valuable resource is not lost. It would be
very much. appreciated if we could receive your City's resolution by the end of February
so that. all ofAhe~;resolutions.can'te"forwarded-'to key 'congressioriali members, the
Administration;'and=the Department,of. Defense:officials who Will :be'involved: in the, Base
closure issue
`To Enrich Lives Through Effective And Caring Service"
Honorable Joe Vasquez
January 16, 2004
Page 2
If there are any questions regarding this matter, please contact Dean Smith, in the
Intergovernmental Relations Branch of my office, at (213) 893-2086.
Thank you for your leadership and support on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
DAVID E. JANSSEN
Chief Administrative
DEJ:GK
MAL:DRS:Im
Attachment
Letters/la air force 011604 city mayors merged
J
ATTACHMENT
AGN. NO.
MOTION BY SUPERVISORS KNABE AND
BURKE December 2, 2003
On Tuesday, November 25, 2003 the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion to oppose
the merger or closure of the Los Angeles Air Force Base in the upcoming 2005 Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Since adopting this position, we need to
build further consensus in the region on this issue that impacts almost 350
aerospace/defense prime and subcontractors with more than 67,000 employees who
reside in almost every city and supervisorial district in the Los Angeles County (County).
WE, THEREFORE MOVE, THAT the Board of Supervisors instruct the Chief
Administrative Officer to send correspondence to the government officials of the 88
cities in the County, urging that they fake similar action and adopt a formal resolution of
opposition to the closure of this important military institution and return it to the County
by mid-January 2004. Once the cities' resolutions have been received, County
advocates in Washington, D.C. can distribute a packet to key Congressional members,
the Administration and the Department of Defense officials, who will be involved in this
base closure issue.
TM:cy
MOTION
MOLINA
BURKE
YAROSLAVSKY
ANTONOVICH
KNABE