Borough’s second class status prodded at Assembly meeting

PALMER — On Tuesday, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly approved transferring ownership of the Little Su Campground to the City of Houston, approved its long-range transportation plan, and multiple other measures. The Assembly also delayed action on plastic shopping bags, and discussed increased crime in the Valley.

Ordinances before the Assembly included approval of the borough’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan has undergone multiple public meetings, and is intended to address the transportation needs of the borough for the next twenty years. This is the third revision to the plan, which was last updated in 2007.

Beth Fread, who is a former member of the Mat-Su Borough’s Transportation Advisory Board, criticized the final product. Fread said, “The Long-Range Transportation Plan was done without the involvement of the Transportation Advisory Board, and predominantly the involvement of guided focus groups and intense stakeholder groups.” Fread added, “There was very little open discussion among the people who were invited to attend these meetings, and it was a very directed process.”

Fread was not alone in her criticism, as two other audience members also spoke up against the LRTP.

Assembly Member Jim Sykes introduced an amendment to the LRTP ordinance to promote cooperation between borough staff and road service area boards with regard to projects. Sykes also proposed adding the state projects at Wolverine Road and Wolverine Creek Canyon. Both amendments were approved by the Assembly, as was the LRTP ordinance as a whole.

The Assembly also approved an ordinance to transfer land, free of charge, to the City of Houston. The land in question is home to the Little Su Campground, and is valued at more than $500,000. The borough currently pays Houston $10,000 per year for day-to-day operation and maintenance of the campground facilities. Under the terms of the transfer, the City of Houston must continue to use the land for public recreation, or else the borough may reclaim the property. The transfer was approved with only Assembly Member Dan Mayfield in opposition. Mayfield said he was not opposed to the concept, which would keep the campground running under Houston’s management, but voted against the ordinance on principle, since the transfer was outside of the normal rules governing sale of borough property below-market value.

Under unfinished business, the Assembly once again delayed action on an ordinance to tax plastic bags. The reason given is that the City of Wasilla is currently considering legislation that would ban the bags outright. Some on the Assembly have voiced a desire for a bag ban, but the borough does not have the authority to do so, because it is a second-class municipality.

The borough’s second-class status also came into the discussion on crime. Last month, Assembly Member Sykes asked the Assembly to direct Borough Manager John Moosey to hold community meetings on crime in the Valley. Since second-class boroughs do not have police power, his proposal met with resistance at Tuesday’s meeting. Assembly Member Randall Kowalke said he was concerned about tasking borough staff with meetings on an issue where the borough has no direct remedy.

The discussion also included the possibility of changing the borough’s status. Changing to a first-class or home-rule municipality would allow the Mat-Su greater powers in dealing with crime, but not without a price tag. Assembly Member Kowalke said undertaking police powers as a first-class borough would cost nearly $50 million and add six mills to property taxes.

Borough Mayor Vern Halter suggested that Assembly Member Sykes draft legislation regarding the borough’s status to discuss in the future.