Palmer library reconstruction fund now at $11 million; new contributions from Mat-Su Health Foundation and Rasmuson Foundation accepted

Palmer’s library fund is now $1 million richer thanks to two $500,000 contributions accepted at the Tuesday, July 22 city council meeting.

One check came from the Rasmuson Foundation, a longtime donor to Alaska charitable and education causes. The second conation was from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, a regional nonprofit that supports mainly community health programs but also a variety of other causes.

The health foundation’s check acceptance was held from the council’s meeting two weeks ago over questions on wording of the grant criteria. Those have been resolved.

Any further issues are minor and can be resolved by city manager Korby Zerkel and the health foundation. There were no questions raised about the Rasmuson grant.

There was a wide outpouring of community support last Tuesday for the library and for the council to accept the health foundation’s contribution, which seemed in question to library supporters after the delay in accepting the contribution.

The only downbeat note came from Jackie Goforth, a local conservative activist, who spoke on behalf of “The Palmer Group.” Gorth expressed skepticism over the health foundation’s intentions and cited concerns with a contribution made by the foundation a few years ago to the summer Two Rivers Festival, celebrates cultural diversity and is supported by the Chickaloon Tribe among others.

Several members of the Palmer Group gathered around Goforth as she spoke to the council during the audience participation part if the meeting. But several other Palmer residents spoke favorably toward the health foundation and cited its several years of support for diverse local organizations with no apparent political agenda.

The combined $1 million in new money brings the library construction fund to about $11 million, which leaves $3 million to raise to cover the approximate $15 million budget for rebuilding. Palmer State Rep. DeLena Johnson had secured a $5 million state capital appropriation to support the library rebuild and an insurance settlement of just under $5 million is also in the account.

A roof collapse during heavy snow damaged the old library. It is now being demolished to get ready for reconstruction. Palmer architect Gary Wolf was retained by the city to design a new library, which he has done.

The timing of the reconstruction is still uncertain, and an extended delay could lead to cost increases as inflation and President Donald Trump’s tariffs drive up costs for steel and other materials for building.

Also at last Tuesday’s meeting city manager Kolby Zerkel gave an update on local projects and programs as well as staffing of key municipal positions.

“Interviews for the Human Resources Manager position are currently underway. I look forward to completing this process and rounding out the administrative team,” Zerkel said. “As always, our contracted HR (Human Resources) firm, Soaring Bird Solutions, continues to be a valuable resource for City employees.

Rick Battis and his team have been instrumental in supporting Palmer over the past several months,” she said.

The interview process for the Fire Chief has concluded, and the selected candidate will be announced shortly.

“Last week, I had a productive meeting with fellow valley mayors and managers. We discussed several potential areas for collaboration, including animal control services. These conversations reflect our commitment to finding efficient ways to serve our communities,” Zerkel said.

A city project on Fireweed Avenue is progressing well and remains on schedule for substantial completion in mid-August,” she said. “As a ‘heads-up’, the outbound lanes of Evergreen Avenue will be reduced to one lane to allow our team to perform necessary water line repairs from July 25 through July 27th.”

“In a milestone for our downtown business district, I have taken a step toward addressing a long-standing public safety concern while also tackling a persistent issue, parking, by expanding public parking on the north side of the Depot, nearly doubling its capacity,” Zerkel told the council.

Following an initial public introduction and discussion, Zerkel said she has moved forward with “repurposing” the space. “This decision supports a directive I received upon being hired: Fix the parking. It also resolves public health and safety concerns.

“As many are aware, the (rail) tracks in that area were disconnected from the main rail line years ago and are no longer part of any current or future railway projects. Over time, the tracks had become overgrown, unsafe, and posed a liability, making this project a practical course of action,’ she said.

Zerbel thanked the Palmer’s public works team, “for their quick and effective work in bringing this solution to life.” On airport matters the Palmer Municipal Airport Lighting Project is currently out for bid and the submission deadline has been extended to July 25, she said.