Borough scores budget victory

MAT-SU -- The Mat-Su Borough received more funding than expected in this year's capital budget, and borough officials rained kudos upon Mat-Su Senator Lyda Green.

"I really want to give Senator Green a lot of credit for this," said Mat-Su's borough manager John Duffy. "Senator Green has been there time and time again, helping us."

According to a report from the borough lobbyist, Ray Gillespie, the Legislature approved $118,782,704 in capital funding for 52 projects throughout the Mat-Su, meaning Mat-Su ranks second only to Anchorage in the amount of capital funding returned to Alaska communities. Those projects range from three replacement ambulances -- one for Talkeetna, Meadow Lakes and a third unallocated ambulance -- to big-ticket items such as the rehabilitation of the Old Glenn Highway, which weighs in at $13.2 million.

"There's a lot of things we didn't expect," Duffy said.

One of the unexpected allocations was $10 million for Port MacKenzie. The money, Duffy said, will help extend the port to become a deep-water dock that can accomodate panamax-sized vessels, something he said Anchorage's port cannot do at this point.

"It really speaks to the importance of having someone down there," Duffy said.

During the last two scheduled weeks of the session, either a member of borough administration, the mayor or the deputy mayor were in Juneau to answer questions and do a final lobbying push.

"It was real critical," Duffy said. He explained that, during the last week of the session, he received a call from Tim Anderson, the borough mayor, who was in Juneau at the time. Anderson needed key information that would allow them to argue for funding to replace worn-out ambulances. Duffy was able to provide that information and the funding was secured.

When asked whether that was generally considered the work of the lobbyist, Duffy said the difference is in the specifics.

"Ray is really good on his stuff," Duffy said, "but there are some things that he just doesn't know."

He cited the borough's push for the ambulances as an example. Gillespie, he explained, would not know how many miles any particular ambulance had on it, how many runs it was called to each year, how many times it had been in the shop, etc.

Anderson said he felt a borough presence was especially important during the end of the session, when legislators were compiling the capital projects list, because he, for example, was able to quickly bring up projects that could fit into the list.

Green, too, said the borough's presence helped bring home some of the projects. She mentioned a mid-session meeting between Anderson, Palmer's mayor Jim Cooper and Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe Perkins.

"We just sat down and had a real good … conversation on what was really going on in the borough," Green said. And as a result, funding is included for a turn lane for Academy Charter School, and an upgrade of the Palmer Municipal Airport road.

In addition to more than $58 million in borough projects alone, more than $12 million was secured for school district projects. Of that money, $8 million is slated for the proposed nutrition center that district officials are hoping can double as a vegetable processing facility for local growers. That money, district superintendent Pat Chesbro said, will help fund studies and leverage federal funds to make the facility a reality.

"Now that we know that money could be secured, I think we can get started," Chesbro said.

While the funding formula was not increased this year, additional funding was secured for learning opportunity grants and for the quality schools initiative. Mat-Su is estimated to receive $2.32 million in learning opportunity grants through the Quality Schools Initiative. Those funds come with strings attached, said school district spokesperson Kim Floyd, and will likely be earmarked for student interventions and professional development. The particulars will be lined out in the coming weeks, Floyd said. In addition to that money, the district received $552,253 in funds over and above the foundation formula -- money that is not presently earmarked for use.

An additional $1.5 million was also designated to help two Mat-Su schools come in line with state fire safety standards. Just over $1.1 million is slated for a new sprinkler system at Palmer Junior Middle School and $466,000 will provide a fire alarm system for Su Valley High. That money, in addition to the funding for the nutrition center, must be approved by voters as part of a debt reimbursement proposal this fall.

Green attributed the capital budget success to the fact that the Senate was in control of that budget this session. The Senate, she said, was able to shift projects around as needed and communicate needs effectively. She said she was particularly proud that the nutrition center will be included in the debt reimbursement proposal.

"I was really thrilled to get that one in," Green said. "It sort of falls outside the regular purvue of what goes on the [school construction] list. It never would have made it on that list."