Money, politics lead the year

MAT-SU — Looking back on 2009, controversies abound. The financial crisis exposed deficiencies in some non-profit groups and local governments felt pressure from citizens who were looking for better communication. Following are recaps of some of the more heated debates.

Charges at the chamber

This year proved tumultuous for the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce. In April, the chamber announced lower than expected revenues and non-budgeted expenses would cause a deficit for the fiscal year.

The next month, five of the seven members of the board of directors resigned, with a sixth to step down later. The board members said they had been looking at the non-profit’s finances since the beginning of the year and found what they called alleged “misuse of funds” by the executive director, Cheryl Metiva.

When they confronted Metiva with their findings, the board members said they received such personal attacks from certain chamber members they were left with no choice but to step down.

On reviewing the financial statements from the chamber’s accounts obtained by the Frontiersman, Metiva had spent thousands of dollars on dietary supplements, vacations, day spas and restaurants. Additionally, documents came out showing she was not paying all she owed on the employee health insurance plan.

What expenses had been for chamber activities, and what expenses had been paid back, never became clear. When an interim board of directors took over, it worked out a deal with Metiva to remain in her position, but increased the financial controls. Metiva resigned in July.

In October, the city of Wasilla released the results of an audit conducted on a $100,000 grant the chamber received to run the Wasilla Tourism and Visitors Bureau. The city found between $25,000 and $30,000 was spent outside the terms of the contract. The chamber agreed to repay the city by taking responsibility for certain community activities.

Mess at MASCOT

Mat-Su Community Transit suffered similar woes, and now many riders are left out in the cold.

Citing a $400,000 budgetary shortfall, the local bus service laid off nine employees in September. The executive director, Lou Friend, said the non-profit simply did not get the operational grants necessary to maintain the level of service.

The drivers cried foul, as all but one who were fired signed Teamster union cards a month before. In response, the board of directors said it has a contract with the mechanic’s union, and they had no way of knowing who had signed a card and who didn’t. Still, the Teamsters filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board.

In November, Friend resigned from the organization. Board President Charles Parker said Friend determined MASCOT needed a director with a more financially minded skill set. LaMarr Anderson was hired as his replacement. Anderson had quit his job at MASCOT earlier in the spring because of circumstances at the group he thought were not going to change.

Regardless of management travails, thousands of riders, many with no other method of transportation, saw the bus service cut drastically. Parker said the group is seeking money from the Mat-Su Borough and other entities, and he hopes the service will grow once again.

Senior center success

Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. was one non-profit that worked through its financial troubles to emerge stronger by the end of 2009.

In March, the group that runs the Wasilla Senior Center canceled the popular conglomerate meals programs because of a lack of funding. In April, the meals started again, but the hours the center was open were cut in half.

Through a reorganization of staff and services, fundraisers, and grants from the city of Wasilla, the state and the federal stimulus package, the senior center was able to reopen to the regular hours in July.

Now, the center is building a new health and wellness center, refurbishing the existing building, and looking to expand the programs it offers.

Annexation angst

In addition to helping the seniors, the city of Wasilla began the process of expanding its boundaries, much to the dismay of those potently affected.

City council directed the administration to begin the process of studying additional areas for inclusion. Those areas surround the city on all sides and would have doubled the city in both land and population.

City officials said the benefits are many. The city would have a bigger tax base, a deeper pool for political candidates and a larger share of state revenue sharing. New residents would see decreased property taxes and increased services.

Much of the public scoffed at these benefits. At a series of public meetings the city held, the vast majority of the people were against annexation and angry at the city for even attempting it.

The city is still in the information gathering phase, and the issue will come before the council again in 2010.

Livid library lovers

The city of Wasilla also created a stir when it announced plans to purchase the Meta Rose Shopping Square with the intention of turning it into a new home for the library. However, the plan was hatched without the knowledge of the library steering committee.

The steering committee said the Meta Rose is too small for what the community actually needs. There are not enough parking spaces, and the retrofitting costs would be enormous.

In the end, the city council decided the price was too good to pass up, and there is nothing in the contract saying the building has to be used as a library.

Tea party tempers

Railing against government in general, the tea party phenomenon took the Mat-Su Valley by storm last year.

Fomented by the success of liberals in the 2008 election, conservatives of all colors made their voices heard at four protests throughout the summer.

Organizers said they collected more than 800 signatures at the first event in April. Offshoot groups — like the Conservative Patriots Group and the Second Amendment Task Force — are trying to keep the sprit alive in local politics.

Looking back, some of this issues have been resolved, some may never fully come to rest. No one can say what the hot button issues will be in 2010, but if history tells us anything, there is sure to be no shortage of controversy.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.