Borough assembly postpones decisions on additional police, Wolf Lake Airport issue

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough Assembly postponed voting on a pair of ordinances during a meeting Tuesday in Palmer.

The Wolf Lake Airport and additional police protection in the borough were among items up for discussion.

The assembly postponed the voting on an ordinance involving submitting an advisory question to voters outside the city limits on the Oct 3. ballot regarding the issue of police powers. The decision was tabled until July 17 in order to improve the wording on the document.

“Right now we can’t take any action on police service without an actual vote on asking for the service,” Assemblyman Jim Sykes said. “What we’re asking for is one thing: are you interested in having the borough participate in police service regardless of what options come forward?”

Sykes, who sponsors the ordinance, proposed first to strike section three of the document due to its repetitive nature of section two. Sykes also made a motion to modify the wording of the ordinance by adding the following sentence to page one: At this time the Mat-Su Borough cannot contract for additional state troopers, extend city police to extend coverage outside city boundaries, contract directly for police officers, create police service districts or other possible options to provide police service.

This motion did not pass.

Assemblywoman Barbara Doty expressed concern about making the wording of the whole ordinance more understandable to voters.

The motion to postpone the ordinance was passed, but with opposition from Assemblyman Randall Kowalke and Assemblyman George McKee.

The assembly also postponed a decision on an ordinance that would require notice be given to current and potential Wolf Lake residents that an active airport exists in the area.

The decision is tabled until Aug. 21 due to concerns regarding information made available to the community and insuring borough transparency.

Eight people came forward during the discussion, and all were in favor of the ordinance being passed. But some expressed concern that not enough of the non-aviation members of the community had been made aware of the ordinance. Most people, such as Mike Pannone, emphasized the neighborly aspect of passing the ordinance.

“I support the overlay for the Wolf Lake Airport because it’s an excellent step toward good relationship between airport operations and the surrounding community,” said Pannone, a consultant on aviation safety.

Assemblywoman Barbara Doty recued herself from voting for a conflict of interest involving her ownership in the Wolf Lake Airport.

Liz Thickstun, chair of the Wolf Lake Safety Committee, also added that the ordinance provides a template that other airports in Alaska can implement in the future.

“There is no financial gain for Wolf Lake residents for this. This is something that we are purely doing to try and be good neighbors and establish that we are here, and it will not change the fact that Wolf Lake is a private airport,” Thickstun said.