Palmer council readies ban on sleeping in public places for final passage

Palmer’s city council worked through an agenda of mainly routine business at its Tuesday, Nov. 18 regular meeting. The city has a new council member, though. She is Penny Mosher, formerly on the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, who was appointed to fill a vacant position.

Technical changes to a previously considered proposed ordinance prohibiting sleeping in public places were adopted but final approval of measure will come at the council’s next regular meeting.

Also, the proposed new fee schedule for city services for 2026 was adopted with one change, and approval for the city’s 2026 capital budget was also given.

The capital budget, which is for construction as well as purchases of equipment, is normally approved with the operating budget, was delayed but is now official, so the city’s financial plan for next year is fully in place.

One question raised on the capital budget was whether a plan for begin work in 2026 on an outdoor ice rink could be accelerated to be built for this winter so that more city revenues could be generated, given the popularity of skating.

Unfortunately, this can’t be done in time for this winter, Palmer city officials told the council. The plan approved is to start work in 2026 with expenditures of $10,000 per year over four years so that outdoor skating can be expanded in increments and be fully developed by the fourth year.

Palmer’s fiscal year starts Jan. 1 and goes through the following Dec. 31, unlike the borough, school district and state fiscal years that start July 1.

The ban on sleeping in public places was introduced earlier along with a ban on illegal camping, but while the camping ban has been adopted the prohibition against sleeping was delayed so the city’s attorney could work through legal uncertainties in the language proposed earlier.

The new city fee schedule proposed earlier was adopted Tuesday night except that an increase for city utility services outside city limits was raised from 3% to 5% for 2026.

Assembly member John Alcantra said he was disappointed at the increases for many services that seem relatively minor but important to many people, such as rentals of recreation equipment. But he understood the need to keep up with increases in replacement and maintenance, he said.

In routine actions, the council authorized the city manager to give the city’s consent to assignments of hanger lease agreements at Palmer’s airport to new parties, and to negotiate an agreement with HDL Engineering Consultants for a contract not to $48,630 for final design and contractors bidding Assistance for the Cedar Avenue Improvements Project.

The city manager was also authorized to update the City's current financial Software System, Tyler Technologies ERP Pro 9, to ERP Pro 10 Financial Management Suite.