Palmer delays animal control transfer to borough

In more fallout from deaths in a Mat-Su sled dog kennel and charges of animal neglect, Palmer’s city council voted last week to delay transfer of the city’s animal control responsibilities to the Matanuska-Susita Borough until the borough completes an investigation of questions over the borough’s lack of response to complaints.

The proposal was up for a public hearing at the council’s April 28 meeting. Council members also to deferred the animal control matter to Palmer’s Planning and Zoning Commission to consider questions over sled dog kennels and the number of animals allowed to be kept by homeowners in the city.

On another matter seemingly minor but important on principle, the council voted against approval of a $1,500 grant by the city to the Alaska Community Foundation. Council members felt that it was inappropriate to provide a grant, even small, to a nonprofit that would then grant the funds for an activity it would identify. While council members gave the community foundation credit for good work, they felt municipal grants should go to a specific purpose the the city identifies and not to another organization to do the selection.

In other actions the council approved a proposal to lower the age that city employees can be hired from 18 to 16. This will allow the city to hire high school students to work in seasonal jobs on the Palmer golf course. The golf course opened April 29 under city management.

In a matter also related to the golf course the council was informed that the state’s Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office, or AMCO, has decided not to pursue allegations of a violation of liquor license terms at the golf course. This clears the way for beer and wine to be sold at the golf course, which is important for generating revenues for the city.

On other matters a plan by the council to discuss traffic safety issues on Arctic Avenue at the Tuesday meeting was postponed, and Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper also requested the scheduling of a work session by the council to discuss future city capital project priorities for the next three to five years.

Cooper also reported that two of Palmer’s top priorities for transportation project funding are to be included in recommendations for state and federal funding by new Mat-Su Municipal Planning Organization, or MPO. Cooper sits on the advisory board for the regional transportation policy group along with Wasilla’s mayor and borough and state officials.

The MPO provides advice for state and federal funding for projects in the core Palmer-Wasilla population area of the Mat-Su region.

In other matters, the council was informed that banners congratulating local 2026 high school graduates will again be hung along city streets. The banners bring attention to student achievements and are intended to foster pride in Palmer’s young people.

In more administrative approvals, the council gave approval for city manger Kolby Zerkel to negotiate a $583,882 contract with Dirtworks Inc. for work on the city’s Cedar Avenue project. Council members commented that in the future contracts of this amount should not be approved under a Consent Agenda, where approvals for routine city actions are grouped and typically not discussed at length. Although the Dirtworks contract was approved in the future contracts like that should be presented in the normal procedure where more information can be presented and questions can be asked.

The city manager was also given authority to enter into a contract with HDL Engineering Consultants for $37, 615 for construction management of the Valley Trails Subdivision paving project and other $54,900 contract for HDL for construction management of improvements along Evergreen Avenue.