Borough assembly ticks through money items, again discusses reduced fees for solid waste disposal at landfill

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly ticked through an agenda packed with money items Tuesday evening, Oct. 19. including a “wish list” for several hundred million dollars in federal infrastructure money that President Joe Biden may be sending to the borough, if Congress approves.

The list of projects includes money to complete a rail spur to Port MacKenzie and a joint project with the Fairbanks North Star Borough for facilities to ship liquefied natural gas to Fairbanks by rail.

Money to expand the small Titan liquefied natural gas plant near Port Mackenzie, owned by the Fairbanks-based Interior Gas Authority, is also included. LNG is now trucked from the plsnt to Fairbanks.

Building an LNG rail system would take the LNG trucks off the road Port Mackenzie and the Parks Highway.

The federal infrastructure list is in draft form and now out for public comment. The assembly will act on a final version Nov. 18.

In other actions a resolution to formally accept a $10 million state grant to rehabilitate pavement on roads in the borough, in proposed Resolution 21-115, was introduced and set for approval at the assembly’s Nov. 18 meeting. A list of paving projects is being developed, borough manager Mike Brown said.

A proposal to sell $12 million in new general obligation bonds mainly for road improvements was approved in Ordinance 21-104. This included authorization for refinancing of $36 million in existing borough bonds.

Refinancing the current debt will be done at lower interest rates and is expected to save about $4.2 million in future payments, the assembly was told.

In other actions, site permits for proposed new buildings for MatSu Central School, in Resolution 21-108; for the American Charter Academy in in Resolution 21-109, and for Birchtree Charter School in Resolution 21-110.

Also approved was Resolution 21-111, authorizing the borough to partner with the Fairbanks North Star Borough on funding infrastructure for rail shipments of LNG (this project is included in the “wish list” for the federal infrastructure bill).

The assembly also gave the borough manager authority to enter. contract with Bond Brothers Logging for harvesting of the Yoder Road timber sale, in Resolution 21-116. Resolution

Much of the assembly’s discussions Tuesday focused on a proposed revision of fees to use the borough landfill, in Resolution 21-101.

A proposed flat $10 fee for pickup trucks at the borough landfill was on the table. This would have amounted to a significant reduction of fees paid for using the landfill, which are now based on the weight of the solid waste measured by a scale at the facility as well as a minimum per-bag fee.

A $10-per-truck fee isn’t nearly enough to cover costs, assembly member Stephanie Nowers said. Those are now estimated at about $41 for the equivalent of a pickup truck load.

Discussions went back and forth on ideas for a per-truck load fees and the assembly finally voted on a $20 per load fee, which is about half of what it needed to cover costs.

Mayor Vern Halter vetoed reduced amount and an assembly motion to override the veto failed, so landfill fees are unchanged for now.