Palmer proud of its projects

PALMER — On Thursday, city officials will show off the capital projects they hope to fund. The city’s 2013 Project Fair at the MTA Events Center features displays on each of the major project on the city’s wish list.

Last year, projects ranged from an expansion of the city’s fire training facility to an upgrade of the ventilation system in the accounting department.

“All adult citizens who attend will have the opportunity to vote on the projects they would like to see funded,” according to the flyer for this year’s fair.

And while that might not seem terribly exciting, the city has a pretty good track record when it comes to getting projects funded.

On the list of capital projects submitted for possible funding to the state Legislature, the only one of the top four shut out of legislative funding this year was $2 million to improve a city water well. The three that received funding include:

• $4.09 million in two different earmarks to replace steel water mains,

• $1.8 million to buy a new fire truck with an aerial platform and equipment,

• and $3.5 million to place city waterlines along the new Bogard Road when it gets extended east from 49th State Street.

Palmer Mayor DeLena Johnson said that those projects will be on display at the project fair and the city will have an opportunity to thank the elected representatives who secured the funding.

“It’s exciting to me to show what we have funded and to be able to show the representatives and the senator (that) we’ll get to be able to thank them. That will be nice,” Johnson said.

She said that the fifth project on city’s list for this year’s Legislature, $1.2 million to restore the train tracks to downtown Palmer, will have a booth there as well.

“That’s definitely got a lot of community support in town,” the mayor said.

She said it’s great to see all the city departments there, working as a team and showing off what the city is up to.

“It’s just an opportunity to have the city get to talk about what it’s doing,” she said. “I love the idea that we’re building infrastructure.”

And there’ll be room in the events center for non-city projects. Well, at least one non-city project.

“One of the projects will be a community project. We have a process for allowing people to put their own project in,” Johnson said. “This year it’s the Alaska Bible College. They have an expansion going on.”

Also, she said, there’s going to be a poster contest. The city solicited posters from 258 local students who drew things related to the city.

“We’ll have those all there, that’s pretty neat,” Johnson said.

And it’s even neater for the winner.

“The poster contest winner gets to ride to school on a fire truck,” she said.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.

What: City of Palmer 2013 Projects Fair

Where: MTA Events Center, 1317 Kerry Weiland Way

When: Thursday, 4 to 7 p.m.