Garrison and Hunter Army Airfield Homes leaders held community engagement centered town halls in each installation neighborhood, April 26-29.
The goal of these events, according to Lt. Col. Stephan Bolton, Hunter Army Airfield garrison commander, was to establish better communication and understanding between garrison, residents and privatized housing partner, Balfour Beatty.
At the end of 2020, approximately one-fourth of Hunter Army Airfield residents took a residential satisfaction survey. The survey showed that while there were noticeable improvements in areas like quality of maintenance and leasing services, residents showed decrease satisfaction in areas like staff responsiveness and property appearance. According to Bolton, town halls are important for developing a better understanding of these identified problem areas.
During the week, neighborhoods were visited one at a time. The informal format allowed residents to have active conversations with leadership and others within their community.
“I wanted to show the community that the Hunter team is actually getting after the work orders, ground maintenance and every other concern residents might have,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Tremayne Robbins, Hunter Army Airfield garrison senior enlisted leader. “Your garrison here at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield cares about your issues; we just need you to communicate them.”
Balfour Beatty management and maintenance staff also attended the town hall to answer questions and receive feedback from residents.
“We wanted to open a line of communication with the residents to allow them a comfortable setting where they feel like they’re being heard,” said Sika Smith, Balfour Beatty community manager.
Communication was a recurring theme throughout the town halls.
“We do see there is occasionally friction between them (residents and Balfour Beatty) often as a result of poor communication and misunderstandings,” Bolton said.
According to Smith, the best ways to communicate issues and concerns is through official channels. There are generally three places to start when experiencing a residential concern.
First, if the resident has issues with the neighborhood or even another neighbor, the residential concern form is the best method for resolving the problem. This document can be found at the Hunter Army Airfield Homes front office.
Next, if the resident is experiencing an emergency or immediate problem such as a leak, the maintenance line is the best point of contact at 912-495-2147.
Finally, for routine maintenance, the resident portal is the best solution, allowing users to track service requests through completion.
If there are any issues that fall outside the scenarios listed, Smith stated Hunter Army Airfield Homes (Balfour Beatty) has an open door policy and four community managers to assist residents.
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