Borough assembly hits the road

TALKEETNA -- The Mat-Su Borough Assembly took their show on the road Tuesday, April 6, holding their regular assembly meeting at Talkeetna Elementary School.

An entourage of staff and assembly members traveled north, spending over five hours in the school gym before adjourning the meeting and heading back to the lower valley.

The assembly traveled to Talkeetna to accommodate public testimony relating to the Talkeetna Lakes Recreation Area Management Plan, the Talkeetna Riverfront Land Use Plan, and the classification of six parcels of land in the area.

What does it take to get the assembly on the road? Borough Deputy Clerk Michelle McGehee said that travel is considered when there are issues specific to a certain area. Assembly member Betty Vehrs requested the meeting in Talkeetna on behalf of her constituents.

"To come to an Assembly meeting in Palmer, these people have to get babysitters, arrange carpools, avoid moose, make the long drive down, sit through the whole meeting to get their three minutes to speak, then turn around and make the long drive back home," Vehrs said.

Moving an assembly meeting from the borough assembly chambers is not a simple task for borough staff, who bring copies of all the legislation, including the agendas and everything that will be needed at the meeting.

They bring their own water, coffee carafes, and other supplies.

"We also bring all the assembly mail and action items," said McGehee.

Borough staff coordinate the details, like acquiring tables and chairs and setting up meeting spaces, by working with the community. For the Talkeetna meeting, they worked with the school principal and local volunteers.

McGehee agreed there is some extra work involved, but said it's worth it.

"When we get the request, we try to honor it, because it's so much more convenient for the constituents. It's our pleasure to pack up and come north," she said. "It provides us another way to keep in contact with the residents."

Along with the 60 or so who attended the meeting, a handful of lower valley residents met in assembly chambers and attended via teleconference.

"It's exciting that the assembly came north," said Vehrs. "It gave my district the opportunity to come out and show their spirit and their commitment to their town, and really let the assembly know their wishes."

Since the beginning of the year, borough assembly meetings have been teleconferenced to the northern valley, rotating between Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, and Susitna Valley schools. Borough staff plan to continue these teleconferences until the end of the school year. Then they plan to evaluate the program, looking at attendance at the meetings and the costs for the teleconferencing. They are also looking at other technology, such as streaming audio, to provide a way for anyone to listen in to the meetings.

Actions taken at the meeting included the passing of the Talkeetna Lakes Recreation Area Management Plan and the Talkeetna Riverfront Management Plan, and the reclassification of several parcels of land for recreational use.

There were about 40 different public comments offered during the meeting, most regarding issues relative to the riverfront area and lakes plans, property classification in the area, and appeals for funding to reinstate the Community Schools program in Talkeetna.

Roger Robinson, in thanking the borough for making the trip north, echoed the sentiments of my many residents at the meeting.

"Thank you for coming to Talkeetna," he told the Assembly. "We know what its like to drive down to the lower valley, and we really appreciate you coming north."

Borough Mayor Tim Anderson commended the efforts of the Talkeetna Community Council and other volunteers at the end of the meeting, telling the group, "You are setting a good example for many areas of the Borough to follow."