Assembly OKs compromise JPARC resolution

PALMER — The skirmish over exactly how strongly the Mat-Su Borough Assembly wants to state its concerns over changes to military training areas has drawn to a close with a compromise resolution passing Saturday.

Before the whole thing was done, the assembly passed a resolution, the mayor vetoed it, the assembly failed to override that veto and the assembly considered two possible replacements.

The initial resolution came from assemblyman Warren Keogh. Mayor Larry DeVilbiss said that on Saturday he and Keogh both came to the meeting with very similar replacement resolutions.

“There wasn’t much difference. I was OK with Warren’s, so I asked him to move it,” DeVilbiss said.

He said from the start that his only problem with Keogh’s resolution was how strongly the measure stated opposition to the military’s plans to expand the area in Alaska over which jets can fly training runs. The changes would put the training zones well within the borough’s boundaries, especially over the Lake Louise area. The military is also considering perhaps lowering the minimum height at which the jets can fly to an altitude of 500 feet. Many borough residents have expressed concern that such a change could put jets in the same stretch of sky as smaller and slower private planes.

“The (resolution) that was vetoed told them we didn’t want them in our airspace at all,” DeVilbiss said. “That was my only problem with it.”

For his part, Keogh said he included that language after hearing from assembly members who seemed to want him to beef up the resolution.

DeVilbiss said that since the new resolution didn’t contain any of those strong oppositional statements, he is fine with it.

“I even allowed them to add an amendment that said we still have serious unaddressed concerns about expanding your airspace into our borough,” he said. “We didn’t slam the door shut, but we let them know that we’re uncomfortable.”

The mayor said he was happy to work with the assembly and arrive at a compromise.

“I’m not on a trip that is going to shut anybody out. I never have been that kind of person,” DeVilbiss said.