If you weren't able to attend the town meeting on the 18th here is a recap of what you missed.
As you may have heard, This area is in the running to be the first of three for a serious upgrade to our defense system. As many will know, we currently have silos that house America's Minuteman Missile system. As that system becomes obsolete the government has approved over ninety-billion dollars to upgrade to the new Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) system. The government is obviously not releasing any information on the system itself, but it does mean some possible major changes to the area. So here's what that could possibly look like to our local area.
Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, and his vice president Stephanie Meisner were on hand to outline the timeline and the plan should our area be chosen. The biggest difference to the community would be the influx of approximately 2250 people to the area. The breakdown of this would be 500 laborers, 1500 certified technicians, and 250 advanced degree positions. The first on the list of concerns was where these new residents would live. Steenbergen admitted that the biggest challenge to both Cheyenne and the Pine Bluffs community would be housing. As many people may already be aware of, there is just not enough houses in the area to work for the people that already live here much less handle an influx of over 2000 more including their families. Steenbergen wanted residents to know that the chamber is already in research with the Cheyenne Board of Realtors and the Southeast Wyoming Home Builders to determine what we already have and what the future need would be.
Another major concern that was voiced by Superintendent Abrams was the impact on our local schools which are already at or near capacity. Steenbergen wanted residents to know that once a contractor is chosen one of the first discussions will be the impact on local schools. LCSD #1 is already assessing future needs with a MCER Study which will determine which schools would need construction or expansion. Chamber Vice President Meisner stated that the Wyoming State Legislature would be determining the funding allocated for school improvement, and that LCSD #2 should definitely participate in their own study to determine the needs locally.
https://www.pinebluffspost.com/story/2019/06/27/news/ground-based-strategic-deterrent-gbsd-system-program-holds-informative-town-meeting/7345.html