Borough may have compromise on nominees

PALMER — It’s taken a couple of months, but it looks like the Mat-Su Borough will soon have a full slate of planning commissioners.

Borough Mayor Talis Colberg has had a chance to nominate three people to the commission, which reviews land-use rules, construction projects and long-range plans, and makes recommendations to the assembly. Colberg’s first nomination, Patrick Johnson, went through without a hitch. But his other picks — about a half dozen — have drawn objections from the borough assembly, which must confirm his nominations.

The issue was among a handful of topics discussed Tuesday night when the two bodies met for a joint meeting. Commission chair Mark Masteller urged the assembly to fill the empty seats.

“I hope you guys can work it out because it’s really critical to have all these seats filled,” he said.

His colleague on the board, William Bruu, said the remaining board members have more power than they should. The rule, generally, is that a majority of the board — four members — must vote anything through for a proposal to pass. Even if two seats are empty that four-vote rule applies.

“It becomes tough to come in here and sit down and see five of us on the board and know that two of us can kill anything,” he said.

Colberg, for his part, has said he was seeking a diversity of opinions on the planning commission, which, in the eyes of some borough residents, has been lacking in the commission as it is currently constituted.

But Masteller disagreed. Unanimous votes, he said, are a rare thing on the commission.

“If folks on the assembly think the planning commission is of one mind then you’re not reading our minutes,” he said.

Tuesday, Colberg said he believed the stalemate over candidates was reaching a resolution, one he hoped would pass the assembly at its meeting in two weeks.

In an interview, Colberg said he plans to nominate Gary Foster to take one of the seats. He said if the assembly lets him have Foster, he’ll let them have their choice, John Anderson, to fill the second vacancy.

According to his résumé and cover letter, Foster is a 13-year Valley resident who works as a contractor and runs Foster’s Fine Finishes LLC. He is also project manager for both Jenson and Sons Construction and Midnight Sun Oncology. He is a past president of the Mat-Su Home Builder’s Association.

Anderson is a 31-year resident of the borough and, according to his résumé, his company, Anderson and Associates, has been right in the middle of Willow’s steady growth. He credits the company with 40 to 50 homes built in the area.

In explaining why he’s remained firm on his picks for the commission, Colberg said what he’s doing is not unprecedented. Nor, the mayor said, does he want to remake the body. Seated near him was David Cheezem, long a familiar face in Valley progressive politics. Colberg is a conservative and most of his picks for the board were as well.

“I like Mr. Cheezem. I don’t agree with him on much of anything,” Colberg said. “Do I want seven of Mr. Cheezem on the board? Not personally, no. But I don’t want to eliminate his type.”

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.