Col. Jason Clarke, Fort Irwin, Calif., garrison commander, and Paul Courtney, Barstow mayor, signed an intergovernmental support agreement March 21, 2023, at the city hall in Barstow, Calif.
IGSAs are formal agreements between Army installations and state or local governments for the provision, receipt, or sharing of installation support services, according to the Army G-9 Installations website.
The signing officialized the fourth IGSA between Fort Irwin and Barstow.
Previous IGSAs allow Barstow to provide base operation support services, and animal control services on the installation, while the most recent IGSA covers solid waste services.
The IGSA is slated to start March 27 and continue for a 10-year period, costing approximately $90 million.
Raquel Cisneros, the resource management officer for Fort Irwin, coordinated Fort Irwin’s part of the IGSA.
“[The $90 million] includes cost of living increases for labor and all rotational trash requirements as well,” she said.
According to Cisneros, the equipment will be contractor owned and operated and will adhere to California laws regarding air quality.
“The contractor will run all aspects of a solid waste services [to include] delivery of the dumpsters, picking up, replacing them, upgrading any areas that [have damaged dumpsters], and picking up of the trash,” Cisneros said. “With this particular change, we now have a person to go to to be able to get those problems fixed quickly.”
The IGSAs with the city of Barstow are a collaborative effort and bring the Fort Irwin and Barstow communities closer together, Clarke said.
“Each time we do this, it’s a great way to reconnect with our community,” Clarke said. “These partnerships are really, really beneficial for both our community at Fort Irwin and the community here in Barstow.”
Courtney, who has served as mayor of Barstow since 2020, spoke about the impact the IGSAs have on the Barstow community.
“This continues to be a big turn for Barstow and Fort Irwin,” Courtney said. “I get to be part of the 4th contract and over time, this income will help increase the quality of life for Barstow.”
In the future, Fort Irwin and Barstow may have the opportunity for additional IGSAs, according to Clarke.
“I just look forward to continuing to do more of these as we continue to grow our relationship with Barstow,” Clarke said.