Concrete to Reefs

Okaloosa County has built a series of artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico from waste concrete material donated by Eglin AFB.  Eglin AFB historically paid $40 per ton to dispose of destroyed concrete targets from on-going weapons testing. The County receives the concrete for no-cost and utilizes a federal grant to pay for material collection and deployment. The cost avoidance for the installation is $64K and the benefits to the community include sustainable reefs, increased tourism (dive and fishing opportunities), and reduced land fill. 

    Printable Concrete to Reefs Flyer  (Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

Solid Waste Collection on Eglin AFB Beach

An agreement was engaged between Eglin AFB and Okaloosa County for trash collection on Air Force owned and operated beaches by Okaloosa County personnel. Eglin AFB was paying $36K per year for contracted trash collection on their beaches; the County was simultaneously collecting trash on adjacent beaches. The County picked up Eglin’s requirement for only $20K per year, resulting in $16K annual savings. As a result of the partnership, the County, for no additional cost, has also agreed to run their sand raking machine over the Eglin beaches.

(Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

HISTORY OF SUCCESSFUL LOCAL PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Firing Range

The security forces on Eglin Air Force Base do not have a small arms firing range to conduct required training.  Through a collaborative partnership with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, military forces are permitted to utilize the Sheriff's Public Safety Training Complex for training purposes.

(Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

  • Childcare Facilities Task Force
  • Cell Phone Task Force
  • Contract Services
  • Enabling & Funding Tools
  • Installation Resiliency

Examples include but are not limited to the below successes.

Freedom Tech Park

A multi-use development under construction on approximately 50 acres of Eglin AFB property.  This mixed use development will feature apartments, restaurants, hotel, Class A office space, recreational areas and childcare facilities.

(Tool Used: EUL)

Ecotoursim & Environment 

The Eglin land reservation offers an abundance of national resources providing outdoor enjoyment opportunities.  The Ecotourism and Environment Work Group implanted new programs to better utilize and sustain the vast ecological and environmental attributes of the Eglin land range.  As a result of these partnerships, the Okaloosa Darter was delisted from the endangered and threatened species list in 2023.

(Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

Leveraging military installation and local community capabilities and resources

to reduce costs or risks by identifying shared values and opportunities.

  • Purple Star School Task Force
  • Housing​
  • Real Property
  • Small Arms Firing Range
  • Traffic & Road Capacity

Overbrook Subdivsion

In response to ongoing flooding concerns from residents of the Overbrook Subdivision in the Ft. Walton Beach area, staff from Hurlburt Field and Okaloosa County teamed up to develop a stormwater runoff control system on adjacent federal property.  The collaborative effort between military and community partners received financial support from the State in the form of a $250,000 allocation towards the development and construction of the project. 

(Tool Used: Partnership Communication)

EDC-Eglin-Hurlburt Community Partnership Program (EHCPP)

The EDC-Eglin-Hurlburt Community Partnership Program was reinstituted in July 2022 committing an ongoing framework to discuss possible partnership opportunities and collaboration between Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Florida state government organizations, Northwest Florida governments, and other public and private entities. Capabilities and resources are leveraged to achieve mutual value and benefit. The EHCPP Executive Committee provides an ongoing framework to: identify requirements and needs for Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field and the other partners; develop partnership and collaboration opportunities among the member organizations; and, leverage capabilities and resources to achieve mutual value and benefit.

(Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

Supplemental Reclaimed Water

Okaloosa County Water and Sewer installed over 10 miles of reclaimed water lines across Eglin AFB land reservation to transport underutilized reclaimed water to the City of Niceville and north Eglin AFB. Eglin AFB provided the land easement. The County received grant funding and managed / performed the construction.
(Tools Used: Memorandum of Agreement and Outgrant)

  • ​Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Workforce Housing

Career Readiness Transition

A new high level cooperation between on-base and off-base education, training, and career agencies has been established.  A Memorandum of Agreement was executed in 2015  as a vehicle for meaningful career support for transitioning personnel. Industry and employer needs are relayed to base training and transition officials to better prepare transitioning military personnel for incorporation into the civilian workforce.  A volunteer Transition Assistance Program (TAP) survey identifies potential veteran skill sets to assist transitioning members with future employment.  Transitioning personnel choosing to remain in the area increased from 25% to 70% in five years.

 (Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement)

SUCCESSFUL TCPI INITIATIVES

Solar Panel Fields

Developing partnerships among Eglin and other public entities in the areas of research, education, training and installation support for energy conservation and sustainable energy.  Examples include a solar panel array adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base and Solar Ready Vets training. 

(Tool Used: Memorandum of Agreement and potential EUL)

Copyright Tri-County Community Partnership Initiative. All rights reserved. 

Team Eglin et al and the local community have established themselves as a national model for collaboration and Public-Public, Public-Private (P4) Partnerships; particularly in the real property agreements and energy service contracts.  Prior to the TCPI origination in 2013, several partnerships had been engaged in the tri-county region:

  • Air Armament Museum – Memorandum of Understanding / Agreement
  • Educational Partnerships – Education Contract
  • Mid-Bay Bridge Authority – Easement
  • Destin-Fort Walton Beach Regional Airport – Enhanced Use Lease
  • Arbennie Pritchett Water Reclamation Facility – Enhanced Use Lease
  • Holiday Inn Resort – Enhanced Use Lease
  • UF Research Engineering and Education Facility – Enhanced Use Lease
  • Housing Privatization – Enhanced Use Lease
  • Healthcare Services – Memorandum of Understanding

The TCPI leverages the collective wisdom and creativity of its members, builds upon and connects partnerships already in place and, where necessary, creates new partnerships to identify and implement win-win initiatives that support local installations to lower base operating costs and  to improve or implement new services. 


Advisory Board Work Groups

Advisory Board Work Groups are identified as needed and in broad categories allowing for sub-tasks under each, effectively streamlining the TCPI process and ensuring maximum value of stakeholder involvement.

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Work Groups and Task Forces have included:

  • Ecotourism & Environmental
  • Education & Workforce Training
  • ​Energy Resources
  • Career Readiness Assistance 
  • Childcare Development​​