Palmer, Houston and borough wish lists

MAT-SU — In addition to the city of Wasilla and the Mat-SU Borough School District, the cities of Palmer and Houston and the Mat-Su borough have all settled on their priorities for the legislative session set to begin Jan. 20.

Mat-Su Borough

• $60 million for the Point MacKenzie Rail Extension, the project seeking to link the borough’s port to the Alaska Railroad.

• $9 million for the Bogard Road Extension, the largest road project the borough has undertaken on its own.

• $3 million to construct piling sleeves on the borough’s Port MacKenzie docks.

• $2.5 million to continue work studying fish genetics as the borough seeks a solution to dramatically reduced fishing opportunities in area rivers.

• Support for a Knik Arm bridge project.

• $16.2 million to match the bonds the borough intends to sell to build and improve access roads to school sites.

• $6 million to fix substandard roads and bridges in the borough.

• $2.2 million to buy land on which to build a regional wastewater and septage facility.

• $6.6 million to extend natural gas and pave roads in the Government Peak Recreation Area.

• Support for all state road projects in the borough.

• $10 million to the state Department of Transportation to buy right-of-way for the Parks Highway alternative/Wasilla Bypass project.

• $5 million for the South Gateway Visitors Center, which would build a new visitors center for the borough’s 780,000 annual visitors.

• $28 million to build phase 2 of the South Denali Visitor Center.

City of Palmer

• $1 million to upgrade Sherrod Street, improving safety near the city’s elementary schools.

• $550,000 to repair pavement at the Palmer Airport, especially on the north end.

• $435,000 to install a fire sprinkler and alarm system, new flooring, doors and heating and electrical systems for the Palmer Railroad Depot.

• $1.8 million to restore railroad tracks in downtown.

• $975,000 to buy the Matanuska Maid properties.

• $1.16 million for the city’s paving project.

• $228,000 to replace the lab at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

• $260,000 to improve city hall.

• $150,000 to upgrade the city’s public works storage building.

• $100,000 to complete Wilson Park.

• $450,000 to repair the city’s public safety building.

• $400,000 for the city’s Walk to the Fair revitalization program.

• $2 million to work on the extension of the city’s water lines down Bogard Road.

• $90,000 to work on the city’s wayfinding project.

City of Houston

• $1.4 million to upgrade substandard roads.

• $140,000 for emergency services equipment.

• $250,000 for a municipal building with leased space.

• $3.6 million to build and equip a fire station.

• $19,740 for the city’s records and information management project.

• $60,000 for road equipment.

• $85,000 for a flood impact assessment study.