Bag ban in the rear-view, city eyes chickens, temporary signage

WASILLA — In its first meeting since voting to ban single-use disposable shopping bags, the Wasilla City Council took on a quite light agenda on Monday.

The Council did vote unanimously to approve ordinance 18-04, which appropriated $6,235 within the Federal Asset Forfeiture Fund for a Wasilla Police Department drug terminator incinerator, but the biggest news came at the front of the 40-minute meeting in manager’s reports, where Public Works Director Archie Giddings informed the council that the Planning Commission, when it meets again on Feb. 13, will take up the issue of changes to the city code as it relates to farm animals, particularly chickens.

Giddings remarked that the matter could find its way to the City Council’s agenda by March.

Mayor Bert Cottle added that soon the council could see action to establish rules about temporary signs. Citing as examples signs for gun shows and homebuilders events, Cottle said the city may “take a run at changing or modifying code” through the planning commission.

Cottle said that a timed permit system may be among the suggestions put before the commission.

Cottle also noted that three officers hired by the Wasilla Police Department are headed to Police Academy on Feb. 25 and will be gone for 15 weeks. When they return they will go through another 12 weeks of field training.

Parks and Recreation director Joan Klapperich said her department has chosen Lake Lucille to be it’s No. 1 priority for the coming year.

She said among the considerations they are looking at for improving the facility are changes to maximum stays, boat dock fees, adding a gate, changing gate closing times and reviewing signage.

Before taking the vote on appropriating the funds for the drug disposal incinerator, Deputy Mayor Stuart Graham asked Police Chief Gene Belden whether other agencies might seek to use the incinerator and whether the city might charge them for that.

“We haven’t really discussed that, but it’s something that could happen,” Belden said. “We could allow other agencies to use it and could charge a fee for operating.”

Belden added that a facility used for similar purposes of disposing needles and syringes and the like in Anchorage had been shut down by the EPA, but that he had not been part of any discussions with anyone about sharing the incinerator.