Borough growth tops candidate discussion

MAT-SU -- With hoots of "Yahoo, Mat-Su," candidates for seats on the borough assembly and for Mat-Su Borough mayor discussed their commitment to promoting tourism in the Valley last week.

The candidates took part in a forum hosted by the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors' Bureau last Friday, one of several they'll be attending in the next couple of weeks.

After opening statements by the candidates present, the floor was opened for written questions from the audience, largely made up of MSCVB members. One of the first questions was how the candidates would promote year-round tourism.

Although Hatcher Pass was the first suggestion out of several candidates' mouths, a few offered different suggestions for expanding on what's already available in the Mat-Su.

"I'll … make sure we've got parking lots for snowmachines to go to," Assembly member Jim Colver said. He added that, in the near future, development of cross-country trails in the borough-owned area of Hatcher Pass would boost access and use at the area.

Sherry Pinckley-Trboyevich, running against Colver for the assembly's District 6 seat, supported private development at Hatcher Pass.

"There's room at Hatcher Pass for everyone -- a private developer could build a world-class slope there," Pinckley-Trboyevich said. "We should go for a developer, not [federal] government or the state or the borough funding there."

Assembly member Bill Allen, running unopposed for the assembly's District 2 seat, suggested another area of focus.

"We have a perfect opportunity here we're not utilizing to its maximum -- that the Valley should be a destination for conventions," Allen said, adding that convention-goers who attend conventions in "Las Anchorage" simply aren't seeing much of what Alaska has to offer. "Come to the Valley, where it's extremely Alaskan."

Borough mayor candidates also took the opportunity to spar on the issue. Newcomer to the field, Steve Menard said he's been hearing about Hatcher Pass since he was a child, and suggested a broader focus.

"The size of the borough is so large, too many times we get focused just on Palmer and Wasilla," Menard said. "I've been hearing about Hatcher Pass Development since I was born -- the demand is not there yet. We … need to promote events like Iditarod Days specifically for the Valley."

Former Wasilla police chief Charlie Fannon agreed with Menard that the demand for Hatcher Pass development was not yet present.

"The growth isn't here right now for us to do a turnkey solution and just turn it on," Fannon said. "We need to market out of state -- we have the quality of vacation place that people will enjoy."

Anderson countered that the borough shouldn't build the whole project at Hatcher Pass, but should have a role in some of the development.

"I think the first thing we have to do is … build infrastructure, but we can't just build Hatcher Pass and be done," Anderson said. "We shouldn't put all our marbles in that basket."

Instead, he said, the borough should concentrate on other recreational opportunities, such as reserving and maintaining trails -- for use by local residents as well as tourists.

The mayoral candidates were asked to discuss suggestions for filling the $16 million gap in funding from the state. In the state's current budget, MSCVB officials said, the state reduced tourism funding from $20 million to $4 million.

Menard said tourism marketing was the answer.

"The majority of industry in the Valley is sales and service, and it devastates us when money is cut," Menard said. "We all know great places to go here -- we need marketing. The only way to get money here is to spend it."

Fannon said he disliked what appeared to be punishment from the state level for an industry that's successful. He, too, felt marketing could help the industry.

"Anywhere you go in the U.S., everybody wants to go to Alaska," Fannon said. "I think when that kind of thing happens, local areas need to start marketing themselves more successfully."

Anderson suggested a more widespread approach from Valley residents.

"The state needs to get its fiscal house in order," Anderson said. "We need to elect representatives who place tourism high on their list and see it as an industry, not as a head tax."