From trash-munching squirrels to the never-ending parking crunch, Base Operations at the Naval Academy faces the same daily problems as any other municipality.

That's not surprising, since with its own fire, police and public works departments, the academy is akin to its own city -- complete with a mayor and city manager of sorts.

The only difference is that the candidates and length of terms for these offices are set by the Navy -- and there are no elections.

Capt. Martha "Marty" McWatters and Cmdr. Scott Grundmeier, the pair in charge of running the small city, decide road repairs and competitive salaries, and even how to beat the varmints who gnawed their way through the supposedly squirrel-proof trash cans on the Yard.

There are about 7,000 "residents" in the Naval Academy's city, including 4,000 midshipmen and 3,000 faculty, staff and officers. "Constituents" also include alumni and the parents of midshipmen.

Capt. McWatters and Cmdr. Grundmeier aim to make everyone happy, but as in any city, that's next to impossible.

"This is the complaints department," said Cmdr. Grundmeier, Base Operations officer. "We're the place to call into to get something done in the city."

"There is a constant challenge of addressing needs over desire," said Capt. McWatters, deputy for Base Operations, or the equivalent of a mayor. "You can't accommodate everybody."

Cmdr. Grundmeier, whose job description reads like that of a city manager, starts each day answering e-mails and then fields phone calls all day long.

The top complaint? "Parking!" Cmdr. Grundmeier said, pointing to several stacks of new parking decals on his desk. The decals are a new measure this spring to regulate parking.

The most common request is for the use of academy facilities.

"The academy does not rent out any buildings, so I am constantly explaining that," he said.

When he can, Cmdr. Grundmeier goes on "drive-abouts" through the Yard, jotting down anything he sees in need of repair.

"We're always trying to be more efficient. Prioritization is still the key," he said. "There is never enough money."

No two days are ever the same for Cmdr. Grundmeier, who was assigned to the academy last year. He and Capt. McWatters will probably spend two more years as city manager and mayor before they're reassigned.

Both stress their reliance on civilian employees to keep the academy running smoothly while the military changes leadership every few years.

"Military people bring in fresh eyes," but it takes about a year to really get into a routine, Capt. McWatters said.Living with restrictions

The Naval Academy itself is constrained to 338 acres, which is one obstacle not even a new face or philosophy can overcome.

There is no land it can annex for additional parking or to construct a new academic building as course offerings increase.

"We can't expand our boundaries as we integrate more activities," Capt. McWatters said.

One of the most noticeable differences between the academy and a city is the tight security it must regulate while maintaining a sense of openness with the public.

Typical cities don't have Marine guards at large iron gates or annual security drills that prepare personnel for terrorist threats.

"The public has a right to see the academy and we welcome that," Capt. McWatters said. "But we have to balance that with potential terrorist threats."

Largely, though, the academy is able to strike a balance so that many aren't even aware of all the security measures.

That sense of openness prompted a letter last year from a former Boston police chief who wrote to the academy to complain that he thought the security was awful during his visit, Cmdr. Grundmeier said.Warm relations

The academy is able to operate like a city because it has all of the services of any small town. It has to be self-sufficient -- from security to medical facilities -- because it's a federal installation, Cmdr. Grundmeier said.

All told, it costs about $480,000 a day to run the Naval Academy, including utilities, communications, supplies, fire safety, security and facility maintenance.

"We have to be reliant on ourselves," he said.

But the academy has forged a close alliance with Annapolis and Anne Arundel County in many areas.

The Naval Academy Fire Department has a mutual aid agreement with the city and county which establishes guidelines for all three departments to help out one another.

Fire Chief James Nichols said the 40-person fire department is made up exclusively of civilians, whose responsibilities are no different from those any Annapolis firefighter would handle.

"We all train together. We go to the same schools," Chief Nichols said.

The two departments even shared Annapolis' space for two years while the Naval Academy was rebuilding its fire station in 1996 and 1997.

Having its own fire department benefits the academy, Chief Nichols said, because the firefighters can respond almost immediately and are familiar with every building.

The Naval Academy Fire Department, housed just inside Gate 8, responds to about 1,300 to 1,400 calls a year, Chief Nichols said.

Several hundred are mutual aid calls, but about 1,000 are at the academy or Naval Station Annapolis.Other services

The Naval Academy's police force also functions much like any city's.

The only difference is in the three levels of statutory laws the department's 24 officers have to follow, said Robbie Robertson, chief of police.

Academy police must enforce federal, military and state laws.

The police force has exclusive jurisdiction on the academy and the naval station, which means the city or county can't interfere. The stretch of King George Street from the College Creek Bridge to Route 450, and Route 450 from Taylor Avenue across the Naval Academy Bridge, also fall under the academy's purview.

Like most police forces, the academy's department thinks of itself first as a service organization, Chief Robertson said.

Services include assisting with parking at special functions, security of VIP guests, and organizing bicycle safety programs for children and seat belt programs.

Chief Robertson said the department deals with an average of 700 incident complaint reports a year.

"We have our fair share of thefts and an occasional assault. It pretty much runs the gamut," he said.

The Public Works Department is the largest service at the academy, with about 350 employees and $110,000 a day in expenses, said David Rouse, assistant director.

In addition to roads, water, sewage and other utility maintenance, public works functions as the transportation department, overseeing a fleet of military vehicles and buses.

Public works maintains 31 miles of roads and 89 acres of training fields.

Other services the academy can boast about are recreation opportunities including a swimming pool, ice skating rink, library, housing and medical care.

The Naval Medical Clinic Annapolis on Hospital Point has 190 staff members, said Capt. Kathleen Morrison, commanding officer.

The 190 staff members include a mix of military officers and civilians: doctors and pharmacists, hospital corpsmen, civilian employees and Red Cross volunteers.

The clinic is the primary caregiver for the midshipmen, who pass through routine physicals to make sure they're eligible for commissioning.

"We are like their family doctor. They cannot get in a car and drive to any physician in town," Capt. Morrison said.

Published April 26, 2000, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2000 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.