On Monday, June 3 at 9 a.m. at the beginning of the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors meeting, Naval Air Station Meridian and Lauderdale County partnered to sign the first Inter-governmental Support Agreement, or IGSA.
Through this 10-year agreement, Lauderdale County will provide road and parking lot maintenance and repair through use of the County Road Department or through contract, and NAS Meridian will reimburse the county for the completed work.
“This IGSA is a first for NAS Meridian, and it’s not likely to the last,” said Captain Luke Davis, Commanding Officer of the NAS Meridian. “Besides being cost effective and allowing NAS Meridian to focus on our mission of training the best Sailors and Marines, it also builds the relationship between our installation and our community.”
NAS Meridian estimates that the IGSA will save the installation about $30,000 per year.
IGSAs are agreements between the Navy and a state or local government that enhance operational effectiveness and create greater economies of scale that reduce costs and provide economic benefits to the community and to the Navy. NAS Meridian provides an annual economic impact of more than $371 million to Lauderdale County and is always looking for ways to be the best steward of tax dollars and ensuring a positive impact on the community.
Over 120 IGSAs have been executed across the Department of Defense since 2015, saving over $40 million dollars each year for services such as paving repair and maintenance, solid waste management and recycling, and grounds maintenance. NAS Meridian is also exploring additional IGSAs with the City of Meridian, Town of Marion, Kemper County, Lauderdale County School District and Meridian Community College. Partnership meetings have also created opportunities to work with 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field and Army National Guard in Jackson.
