Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. - Col. Dan Mitchell, commander of U.S. Army Garrison – Rock Island Arsenal, and Mike Thoms, mayor of Rock Island, Illinois, met virtually Feb. 21 with Department of the Army officials at the Pentagon to officially be recognized as one of seven winners of Army’s 2022 Army Community Partnership Awards.
The ceremony was presided over by Ivan Bolden, Chief of Army Partnerships for the U.S. Army.
The award was given for the RIA Garrison’s community partnership project with the city of Rock Island, a 10-year intergovernmental support agreement pertaining to water treatment and distribution system plant operations and maintenance, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, and exterior electrical lighting maintenance.
The partnership gives Rock Island Arsenal the ability to leverage the city of Rock Island’s experience and expertise in providing these municipal services. This partnership also created a revenue stream for the city, which allowed them to purchase a bucket truck to be used on and off post for electrical services. This agreement has promoted a bond of mutual trust and confidence in each partner’s ability to communicate, plan, and execute mutually beneficial partnerships.
The Community Partnership program seeks to highlight examples of exceptional cooperation and diligence that will encourage continued collaboration to achieve the full potential of community partnerships, and forming innovative partnerships that improves quality of life for soldiers and their families, enhance readiness, modernize services, provide efficiencies, expand capabilities, strengthen community relations, and contribute to reform initiatives throughout the Army.
Mitchell said the long-standing relationships and support from area residents has made community partnerships a natural, and greatly appreciated, mutual success venture. He expressed his appreciation to Mayor Thoms, City Manager Todd Thompson, Public Works Director Mike Bartels, Utilities Superintendent Jason Upton, and Water Treatment Supervisor Travis Matlick for their support of the Arsenal.
“The Quad Cities, and the city of Rock Island, have always treated the Arsenal as a peer and extended a hand of welcome to us and to the military, Mitchell said. “Thank you so much for your great partnership.”
Thoms said its a partnership that is an important one, and one he hopes to see continue to flourish.
"It's been a great relationship so far,” he said. “The city of Rock Island has had partnerships with the Arsenal for a number of years with wastewater, garbage collection and water filtration, and the partnership continues to grow.”
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