Mat-Su assembly approves $33.82 million in road bonds for voter approval in November

The Matanuska Borough Assembly approved $33.82 million in new borough transportation bonds last Tuesday. The money will be used for road improvements and the bonds will appear on the November municipal election ballot for voter approval.

Seven road projects are proposed, all discussed earlier by the assembly, but the final action was taken at the Aug. 20 meeting.

People speaking during a public hearing supported the bonds but also pushed for further review and possible changes on some of the projects.

The bond proposals include the Johnson Road upgrade at $3.3 million; Settlers’ Bay pavement preservation at $2.7 million; Lakeview Road pavement preservation at $920,000; Green Forest Drive reconstruction for $6.2 million; Skeetawk Bus Access Road at $500,000; Shaw Elementary school site transportation and safety improvements at $12 million, and King Arthur Drive reconstruction for $2.1 million.

If all of the projects are approved by voters the debt service on the new bonds would add $18.58 yearly to property taxes for each $100,000 in property value, according to information presented to the assembly.

Rod Hanson, president of the North Lakes Community Council, told assembly members his council supports the bond package but would like to see more work done in planning for some of the projects. Lakeview Road pavement “restoration” should really be a “reconstruction,” he said, to accommodate increasing traffic from Seldon Road to the Wasilla-Fishhook Road particularly when the new Seward Meridian expansion is completed.

“We’d like to see a redesign to keep the traffic slower,” with road improvements to cause drivers to slow down, reducing interference with people on bike paths, Hanson said. He also asked for the borough to reach out to the public for comments before a project reaches the preliminary engineering stage.

John Miller, another resident, spoke to the need for turn lanes for school buses. The lack of these, “can quickly cause traffic to back up for a mile,” he said, particularly on Bogard Road, a major east-west corridor.

Concerns were raised by Denise Gober, another resident, on projects planned to improve Burma Road. These are needed, she said, but the widening of the road will also encourage drivers to speed, increasing safety hazards. Borough and state road planners have not communicated adequately with property owners along Burma Road, he said. “What’s the plan for this going forward?” she asked.

In another action, the assembly voted down a resolution that would have removed Garland Morrison as one of the five volunteer members of the Big Lake Road Service area board. Assembly member Bill Gamble proposed the resolution, arguing that Morrison has had a poor attendance record at board meetings and Big Lake needs people who can attend the meetings.

Gamble’s proposal got little support, however. The Big Lake road board itself voted 4 to 1 to retain Morrison, who was praised as having substantial experience in construction. Morrison’s defenders also said he has a job that demands frequent travel to other parts of the state, which causes him to miss meetings.

Speaking to the resolution, Assembly member Deb McKee said it is difficult to find qualified people to serve on volunteer boards and that in this case a simple reminder that good attendance is necessary might solve the problem short of removal. Dmitri Fonov, also on the assembly, said it “didn’t feel right” for the assembly to go against a recommendation of the road service area board on this.

Tim Hale, also on the assembly, suggested that the board provide a way for an absent member to phone in while traveling.

The resolution was voted down by the assembly. Only Gamble voting in favor of it.