Governor leaves Mat-Su priorities intact in veto actions, borough assembly told;

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough got through Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget veto process with its major state budget priorities intact, borough manager Mike Brown told the Mat-Su assembly at its Tuesday, June 20 meeting.

State support for municipal school bond debt service remained in the budget, which was expected, but there was uncertainty around a $1.5 million capital appropriation to support the Arctic Winter Games set for next year as well as $1 million for the borough to establish an organization to coordinate regional transportation funding.

In the end, those were also approved by the governor, Brown said.

The Legislature adjourned in late May but Dunleavy spent several weeks reviewing the budget, which he signed after making about $200 million in vetoes, including an $87 million reduction in a special $150 million one-time appropriation for school districts.

Under the original $150 million plan approved by the Legisature the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District would have received about $15 million, Brown told the assembly. Instead the school district will receive about half of that, which does not offset the effects of inflation in recent years.

In another development, Brown said a plan for the borough to aid property owners in disposing of junked vehicles will likely be made public in July. Arrangements are being made with local salvage companies to remove the abandoned vehicles and there will be no charge to property owners as long as qualifications for the program are met, he said.

In actions by the assembly, a proposal to change the minimum threshold for property owners’ votes to approve “contiguous” Local Improvement Districts was approved but not without extended discussion. Currently, if more than 50 percent of property owners vote to approve the LID it is formed by the borough, but with unreturned ballots counting as “no.”

Assemblyperson Stephanie Nowers proposed to increase the threshold to 66 percent, or two thirds, arguing that a bare majority is unfair in imposing costs for improvements on residents who don’t want them. Increasing the required majority would demonstrate more support, she said.

There were several amendments to Nowers’ plan including keeping the threshold at 50 percent “plus one” in lieu of two-thirds as well as another proposal to change it to 54 percent, which prevailed. However, another change made was to have unreturned ballots not count, where now they count as “no.” That also prevailed in the final vote.

Nowers is concerned, however, that the effect of this change is to put the approval in the hands of an even smaller number of property owners. Because it is common for many property owners to forget to return ballots or just no do so, only those who actually return them are counted and thus just three or four who vote “yes” could impose costs for improvemsnts on all.

On other matters that are attracting interest, a final decision on a proposed logging project, the Long Lake Salvage Sale, was put off when the assembly delayed a vote on a motion to rescind approval of the harvest.

Salvage sales, typically involving limited acreage, are made to reduce wildfire hazard in mature forest. In this case local property owners are objecting, worried that harvesting will reduce property values.

Another action taken by the assembly was to retain borough ownership of a tax-foreclosed tract the South Bodenburg Loop area near Palmer for public use. The area has become a junkyard from which abandoned cars and equipment have been left. Some of this has been removed. Local residents hope to see it redeveloped as a public park and recreation area.

Other actions taken by the assembly included:

• An ordinance exempting special events held in remote areas of the borough from special requirements intended more for events near populated areas

• Creation of a South Marina Circle Road Local Improvement District for paving

• Oct. 28, 2023 was set as the date for the annual borough sales of tax-foreclosed properties.

• A resolution urging the governor to prevent use of taxpayer funds for abortion

• Award of a $579,333 roof replacement contract to H5 Construction LLC for the Brett Memorial Ice Arena

• Award of contracts to HDL Engineering Consultants and the Boutet Co. to perform civil engineering and surveying for not-to-exceed $500,000 for both firms

• Award of a $674,000 contract to repairs at Snowshoe Elementary School

• Award of a $1.866 million contract to construct training facilities to Big Dipper Construction

• Award of a 297,000 contract to Stantec Architects for design and remodel of the borough animal care facility

Two items were set for public hearing on July 18:

• Amendments to the borough’s ordinance on screening easements and setbacks from water bodies to allow structures to be built withing 75 feet of a water body

• An ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from establishing residences within 1,000 feet of schools, daycare facilities and public parks

• The borough’s annual sale of tax foreclosed properties will be held Oct. 28. Fifty four parcels were be offered for sale