[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 116 (Monday, September 10, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5467-H5468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONVEYANCE OF ARMY RESERVE CENTER IN KEWAUNEE, WISCONSIN TO CITY OF 
                                KEWAUNEE

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 788) to provide for the conveyance of the 
excess Army Reserve Center in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 788

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KEWAUNEE, 
                   WISCONSIN.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--The Administrator of General 
     Services shall convey, without consideration, to the City of 
     Kewaunee, Wisconsin (in this section referred to as the 
     ``City''), all right, title, and interest of the United 
     States in and to a parcel of Federal real property, including 
     improvements thereon, that is located at 401 5th Street in 
     Kewaunee, Wisconsin, and contains an excess Army Reserve 
     Center. After such conveyance, the property may be used and 
     occupied only by the City, or by another local or State 
     government entity approved by the City.
       (b) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of the real property to be conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 
     to the Administrator. The cost of the survey shall be borne 
     by the City.
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--During the 20-year period 
     beginning on the date the Administrator makes the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), if the Administrator determines that 
     the conveyed property is not being used and occupied in 
     accordance with such subsection, all right, title, and 
     interest in and to the property, including any improvements 
     thereon, shall revert to the United States. Upon reversion, 
     the United States shall immediately proceed to a public sale 
     of the property.
       (d) Additional Terms and Conditions.--(1) The property 
     shall not be used for commercial purposes.
       (2) The Administrator may require such additional terms and 
     conditions in connection with the conveyance under subsection 
     (a) as the Administrator considers appropriate to protect the 
     interests of the United States.
       (e) Treatment of Amounts Received.--Any net proceeds 
     received by the United States as payment under subsection (c) 
     shall be deposited into the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 788 would require the General Services 
Administration to convey to the City of Kewaunee, Wisconsin at no cost 
a parcel of property containing an Army Reserve Center located in 
northwest Kewaunee. The property consists of two buildings with 
approximately 17,000 square feet of space constructed on 4.4 acres of 
land.
  The property is excess to the needs of the Army and surplus to the 
needs of the Federal Government. It has been vacant since 1996.
  Currently, the City of Kewaunee's municipal services are located at 
different sites around the city. Kewaunee city hall, police department, 
ambulance service and community center/senior center have outgrown 
their present facilities. They require room to expand. The City of 
Kewaunee intends to consolidate these services at the vacant Army 
Reserve center.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, as has been pointed out, directs the 
administrator of the General Services Administration to convey an 
excess Army Reserve Center to the City of Kewaunee, Wisconsin. It 
consists of about four-and-a-half acres of lands. It is a piece of 
property that the City plans to use only for governmental purposes. It 
is going to be a very important building to this small community of 
less than 3,000 people by providing a place for a city hall, a city 
council meeting place. It may also house police, emergency rescue 
personnel, and other municipal functions.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for his 
efforts in putting this bill together as it pertains to his district. I 
thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for accommodating concerns raised about the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill on the floor is a better bill than we started 
out with and protects the interests of the Federal Government by 
specifying that the property must be used exclusively for a government 
purpose for not less than 20 years or title would revert to the United 
States Government.

[[Page H5468]]

  At the same time the legislation will provide the City of Kewaunee 
with a suitable municipal building which it otherwise would be unable 
to afford. It is important to note that not only does this legislation 
bypass normal committee procedures, it is considered ``special 
legislation'' because it is not being considered under the normal 
Federal property disposal procedures. Under normal Federal property 
disposal procedures, a transfer of this kind would not be currently 
permitted.
  We are pleased to join today in accommodating the interest which has 
been shared with our committee by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Green) to enable the City of Kewaunee to have this building which is no 
longer needed by the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that even though this building does not fit 
within any of the traditional exceptions for transfer, that the 
circumstances of this case will speak for themselves and that Members 
of Congress on both sides of the aisle will join with us in supporting 
the passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), the bill sponsor, 
a strong fighter for the citizens of Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the committee staff and 
the staff of the gentleman from Virginia and, in particular, the 
minority staff. As the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) alluded to, 
the extra help and assistance and cooperation they gave us, we 
appreciate very much.
  Mr. Speaker, Kewaunee is a small city of about 3,000 people located 
on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is filled with good people with big 
dreams. Kewaunee also faces, like a number of small cities, a number of 
financial challenges. For several years, Kewaunee has been without the 
financial resources to sufficiently house basic municipal services in 
its city hall and police station and fire station.
  Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. Army abandoned its reserve center in 1996, 
it created the opportunity for meeting those challenges. Since 1996, 
the Kewaunee Reserve Center has worked through the GSA disposal 
process. It was declared excess in 1998; and since then, there has been 
no expression of interest by any Federal agency. Currently, only the 
City of Kewaunee has any interest in this property.
  Right now the setup for municipal services in the City of Kewaunee 
is, to put it kindly, less than ideal. The city hall is in the old bank 
building with no parking or office space. The council shares office 
space with the business office. The police department is in the water 
treatment plant. The senior citizens center is on the second floor of 
the fire station, and the ambulance service is in the public works 
garage. Obviously, this is not ideal.
  Mr. Speaker, people in America, especially from small towns, want 
government to work for them. They are looking for common sense and 
partnerships. This is not a big deal to the Federal Government. This 
building is vacant, and it will need lots of work to bring it up to 
suitable standards. However, it is a big deal to the City of Kewaunee. 
It opens new doors to the future, and allows them to reach out and 
capture some of those good opportunities and big dreams.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the minority staff for all of their assistance 
in this special situation.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this 
measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 788, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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