Palmer annexation clears legislature

PALMER -- Hundreds of people are one step closer to becoming Palmer residents, with the city's annexation plan moving smoothly out of the Legislature.

Earlier this month, Palmer's largest annexation attempt cleared the Alaska Legislature without objection. The legislature had 45 days to take action after the Alaska Local Boundary Commission submitted a package including Palmer's plans.

Because the annexation was at the request of the city, rather than private property owners, it required legislative approval. As of March 14, 45 days after it was submitted, the plan had that approval based on the legislature's lack of action.

City Manager Tom Healy said he did not necessarily expect any resistance in Juneau.

"But that can be a political process, so you can never be sure," Healy said.

With the legislative process wrapped up, the final step will be for Palmer to submit its plan to the U.S. Department of Justice, which must give its stamp of approval based on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The goal of its investigation is to assure the boundary changes do not compromise anyone's voting rights.

Healy said he anticipates sending the plan to the U.S. Department of Justice sometime in April. Typically it takes about 60 days to win approval, so Healy is predicting the annexation will become official sometime in June.

While the plan appears to be nearing completion, it has had its naysayers during the past year. The annexation was designed to create a more logical, regular city boundary and encompass isolated enclaves that had been surrounded by the city. In the past, the Local Boundary Commission had advised Palmer that it needed to take a more comprehensive, thought-out approach to its annexation.

This kind of approach does not depend on the support of property owners and, in fact, the council and planning commission during the past year heard from a fair number who were not interested in joining the city.

"It seems like you're kind of shoving it down our throats," property owner John Nolin said during a boundary commission hearing in December. "Has anybody ever thought of having a vote of people who are affected by this? I thought that was how democracy was supposed to work."

Many others, however, supported the annexation in part because of the city services it will bring them. Once the plan becomes official, all annexed areas will receive Palmer's police, fire and road service. Residents might not notice a drastic change in some of these, such as the fire and road service, which in the past had been provided by borough services areas. Residents will be paying the city of Palmer, rather than the Mat-Su Borough, for these services, but Healy predicts this will also break even for annexed residents since the mill rate will be virtually the same.

At the same time, Healy said annexed residents will see the advantage of increased police protection. These areas are now covered by Alaska State Troopers, which are "spread thin," according to Healy. He said Palmer police will be able to provide a more responsive service.

And for a few areas, annexation will bring even more benefits. For example, the city plans to extend a water line to the neighborhood along Helen Drive behind the Noisy Goose Restaurant. Healy said this area does not have good, dependable well water.

At the same time, annexed areas will now have the ability to go to the city to seek paving or other local improvement district status.

With these sorts of details to be worked out and potential projects on the horizon, it appears Palmer's annexation will continue to be a work in progress even after it becomes official this summer.

"It's going to take some work," Healy said.