Palmer council takes up unauthorized camping, sleeping in public spaces

Palmer’s council will take up ordinances Oct.14 restricting unauthorized camping and sleeping in public spaces in the city. The measures were introduced last Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the city council’s regular meeting.

Council member Carolina Graver introduced the proposal to restrict camping. She and council member Victoria Hudson are sponsoring the measure to restrict sleeping in public places.

Unauthorized camping and people sleeping in public places has become a nuisance in many communities, bringing with it concerns for public health and safety. A public hearing on the proposals will be held Oct. 14.

In emergency situations the city and local law enforcement will be authorized to allow camping on a temporary basis, and the intent is to help people find safe shelter.

“Our goal is to ensure Palmer does not face the same challenges faced by larger municipalities. At the same time, anyone affected can be provided with information about available resources, ensuring our approach remains both responsible and compassionate,” city manager Kolby Zerkel told the city council.

On other matters, Palmer will get cost estimates from contractors for building the new Palmer public library in early October, Zerkel said.

“Nobody likes delays (in the library construction) but taking time to answer contractor questions and spacing out deadlines for other projects across the region is a normal part of construction. Therefore, the due date for the Palmer Library RFP (Request for Proposals) has been extended to October 2,” she said.

On another matter, the downtown Palmer parking and pedestrian access study now underway will not be completed in late November as earlier planned but is now expected in March.

“Interviews with local stakeholders were delayed due to limited availability during the Alaska State Fair, Friday Fling, and the busy summer season. As a result, the study is not as far along as anticipated. We now expect the final results to be available in the first quarter of 2026,” Zerkel said in a report of the council.

The project is not simply a parking study, she said. “It is a comprehensive downtown mobility and access study that will explore ways to enhance wayfinding, signage, pedestrian and bicycle access, circulation, overall accessibility, and the use of the City’s public parking lots,” she said.

Meanwhile, a proposed change in parking regulations that appeared on the Sept. 9 council agenda has been postponed. If adopted it would eliminate requirements for downtown businesses to have designated parking.

The measure was introduced for discussion, Zerkel said. “This introduction is an important step in governance, as it stimulates open and transparent conversation with the public,” she said. “How the council chooses to amend the legislation, introduce substitute versions, or take further action is entirely up to the body.”

The manager also responded to comments from the public on downtown parking.

“Before August 26 the Pavilion lot (in downtown Palmer) was unstriped and disorganized, making any credited parking numbers purely theoretical. It was an ‘on-paper only assumption. Without marked stalls, it could not and should never have been included as a reliable number of downtown parking availability.

“I made the decision to clearly define stalls which are now in place. This allows the city to measure its true contribution rather than relying on assumptions. The lot is now a functioning part of our inventory, along with the additional parking near the Depot—both operational improvements that strengthen long-term planning.

With clearly designated stalls in place, the public alike can now evaluate its actual contribution to downtown parking—an improvement that strengthens the foundation of the study itself.”

Code revisions on parking in small communities are nothing new, she said. Sitka adjusted parking enforcement and restrictions near the harbor and downtown core, while Valdez modernized its code to allow off-site parking within 600 feet of a business to count toward its parking requirement.This gave (local) businesses flexibility while ensuring accessibility.

Meanwhile, the city is preparing budget recommendations for the upcoming year. “Although not yet finalized, the council can expect proposals to include increased personnel in some departments, new capital improvement projects and updated equipment requests. These investments will help ensure the city continues to provide high-quality services while addressing ongoing infrastructure needs,” she said.

The city is also considering changes to streamline operations, one example being realigning certain services under the public works department rather than having them split across two departments. “By ‘right-sizing’ our structure in this way, Palmer will avoid situations where multiple departments cover the same maintenance responsibilities and purchase duplicate equipment,” Zerkel told the council.

On airport matters, in 2010, the city commissioned Follett & Associates to analyze the fair market value and rent for Palmer Airport and its land, and the report is expected Oct.3. “Once complete, we will adjust lease rates in alignment with the findings and within FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) guidelines.”

On an upbeat note, on Friday, Sept.12, Palmer’s fire and rescue department held a ceremonial “push-in” for the city’s new Engine 31, which is completing its outfitting and will be placed into service. “The tradition of the ‘push-in’ dates back to the 19th century, when horse-drawn fire engines could not back into stations and had to be manually pushed in by crews. The ceremony honored the history of the fire service while symbolizing teamwork and commitment to the community we serve,” the city manager said.