Palmer City Council begins budgeting

PALMER — The Palmer City Council held the first presentation of the proposed FY 2020 budget during a special meeting prior to the regularly scheduled council meeting.

City Manager Nathan Wallace reported that the proposed budget keeps the city of Palmer in a position with revenues higher than expenditures for the ninth year in a row. Most of the increases in the proposed budget are due to a 15 percent increase in health care costs. The council will continue to review the budget until December.

“I expect you to do your homework and come back with recommendations or changes,” Wallace said.

The council passed two resolutions following presentations from the Palmer Golf Course and Wendy Van Duyne of Stantec on the Brownfield redevelopment project for the Mat-Maid block of Palmer. Van Duyne will present the recommendations that she gave to the council on Wednesday at an open house at the Palmer Train Depot from 6 p.m., to 8 p.m.

The council unanimously passed Action Memorandum 19-075 and 19-076 approving $400 to Palmer High School for the upcoming Alaska Association of Student Government’s conference Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 and $225 to the Alaska Farmland Trust to support the Fall Harvest Festival at the Palmer Depot on Nov. 3. Palmer City Clerk Norma Alley did not present a written report, but was excited to inform the council members that the new election equipment for 2020 purchased by the state of Alaska from Dominion will be available for demonstration at the Alaska Municipal League conference in November.

Wallace detailed in his report that September of 2019 reached the second highest year to date valuation for building permits in the last 10 years. Palmer saw 95 building permits in 2019, tied for the highest in the last 10 years. The $28,461,469 valuation to date are the second highest ever, only trailing 2016 when the new Fred Meyer building was built. The $164,908.25 in permit fees are also the second highest permit fees to date in the last ten years.

Wallace informed the board that Palmer Fire Chief John McNutt will be taking a break from his duties in Palmer to serve and train with the U.S. Air Force. The Palmer Fire Department will have two interim Chiefs in McNutt’s absence.

The council received a yearly report from Palmer Golf Course Director of Golf George Collum. Collum came with photos of the new clubhouse deck, which allowed the golf course to open up event space. The clubhouse and cart barn were also repainted this summer, which was one of the best on record, according to Collum. The course opened 12 holes on March 29 and reopened all 18 holes on April 24 following a snowfall. Collum said that the course has only opened in March five times. Irrigation began on April 16, which Collum estimated was the earliest ever. Neither the structures nor the irrigation pipes throughout PGC were damaged during the Nov. 30, 2018, earthquake. Collum listed the events and tournaments held at PGC, which he and many golfers he serves regard as the best course in the state. A 5K run was hosted on PGC in June, and PGC also hosted the State Amateur tournament in July with 120 golfers. When PGC opens in 2020, it will mark the 30th year in Palmer. Collum noted how many improvements have been made from when it still resembled a hayfield in the early days. Collum was pleased to report that PGC offers a fly-in special to help promote business to the Palmer Airport. Along with hosting a U.S. Open qualifier again in 2020, PGC will host the State Match Play tournament. Among the improvements made at PGC has been the amount of equipment acquired. Collum secured a Toro mower from the defunct Fishhook Golf Course, a debris blower that he used on Tuesday that comes in handy during the fall and spring months, and PGC bought 13 used golf carts from Anchorage Golf Course last year. Collum was asked by Councilman Richard Best about the cost comparison between new and used golf carts. Collum said that maintaining the older fleet of golf carts is the most effective method to keep golfers on the course.

“You can find pretty much anything on the internet,” Collum said.

Collum hopes to add a second rotary deck mower to speed up the morning mowing before golfers arrive during the summer. Collum has purchased roof liner, and plans to line the ponds during the spring. Currently, the ponds at PGC are not lined and mostly filled for tournaments. A permanent liner would add a visual aesthetic and additional course obstacle without the extra cost of pumping water to the ponds constantly. PGC added a second green roller last year to speed in the resurfacing of greens.

“Word of mouth gets out that you have this equipment and you use it and your greens are that good that it just brings golfers,” Collum said.