Borough begins budget presentations

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough Assembly unanimously approved a change in regulation to domestic wastewater system regulation at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, along with a large group of introductions of other major legislation.

Requested by Assemblyman Jesse Sumner, Ordinance 21-013 came before the Assembly for public hearing on Tuesday. The Assembly passed an Ordinance 18-013 in 2018 to require multi-family developments to obtain approval from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation for domestic wastewater systems, but in 2019 the DEC altered the review and approval process. The DEC no longer reviews wastewater systems that were conventionally constructed and now employs a ‘permit by rule’ approval process, which allows for multi-family wastewater systems to be approved without review provided that the development is done in compliance with the applicable requirements.

“What this ordinance does, it’s really not creating any requirements it just says that if you’re going to do a multi-family development you have to have an engineer certify that the requirements of the DEC have been met and submit that as part of the applications with the borough so that we can move on with our permit,” said Borough Planning Director Alex Strawn.

Assemblyman Sumner questioned Strawn on the timetable of the requirement to submit approval, which is 90 days.

“This ordinance is intended to ensure that domestic wastewater systems associated with multifamily developments are installed in accordance with all applicable state of Alaska regulations,” reads Ordinance 21-013.

The ordinance passed unanimously. Up for introduction at Tuesday night’s meeting was a long list of proposed legislation, including ordinance 21-035 to enforce trailhead parking fees and ordinance 21-033 to set aside funds for a future Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Assembly held their first departmental budget presentation on Thursday at 10 a.m., and will hold another three public budgetary presentations. The Assembly is scheduled to hold budget meetings on April 27 at the Borough Building, April 29 at the Menard Center in Wasilla and May 6 at Su Valley Jr., Sr., High School.