Dispatch, more discussed in Palmer

PALMER -- The Palmer City Council worked its way through a typically busy regular meeting on Tuesday, addressing zoning, utility and money issues.

The council accepted a $5,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to be applied toward "specific fire department purposes." Fire Chief Dan Contini, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said the $5,000 would be matched by funds from the fire department's operating budget, and the total $10,000 sum would be used to upgrade and improve the Palmer station's current radio and communications system.

The receipt of this grant was anticipated to a certain extent, Contini said, since the fire department set aside $5,000 when forming this year's budget to match the upcoming grant. The grant is contingent on the fire department maintaining a drug-free workplace.

Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper raised some concerns about how Palmer will handle costs at its dispatch center in the future. Wasilla used to handle part of the costs for handling dispatch calls at the Palmer station, but now the city has pulled out of that agreement. Cooper said obtaining more funds from the Mat-Su Borough might be a possibility.

Palmer City Manager Tom Healy said he expected dispatch costs to stay steady for the time being, but that they would probably increase before they decrease. Healy said he believed it was in the borough's best interest to continue using the Palmer station to field its 911 calls, and he expected future upgrades and improvements to Palmer's system.

Pippel said he'd like to see the area rely on a more centralized 911 call-taking center in the future.

"I'd just as soon be out of this dispatch business," he said.

Some further discussion is also in the works for possible changes to Palmer zoning codes. Cooper introduced the possibility of bringing the R-3 zone (medium density multi-family) back into discussion. The R-3 zone is on the books, but no areas in Palmer have ever been zoned R-3. Cooper said the city is currently trying to down-zone areas currently zoned R-2 (medium density residential) in order to restrict the size of housing structures to four-plexes.

The potential changes to other zoning areas that such a move would dictate will be discussed by the council at an upcoming work session.

Healy said the proposed extension of Dogwood Avenue across the Glenn Highway was proceeding well. The city is currently negotiating with landowners across the Glenn from Dogwood to obtain right of way. Construction, which should cost about $2 million, is anticipated next summer.

The council also voiced support for a mayoral proclamation recognizing the efforts of former Palmer mayor and sister-city exchange chairman George Cart/ for his many years of effort toward promoting the sister-city program. Cart/ announced his resignation from the chairman position at the July 18 banquet honoring 20 delegates from Saroma.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.