Palmer purchases new dredge for city water and wastewater plant, adopts new policy for memorial plaques

Palmer’s city council worked through a routine business agenda last Tuesday, Feb. 22.

A planned purchase of a new dredge for the city’s wastewater treatment plant was approved, and city manager John Moosey ordered the equipment the next day.

Delivery times are uncertain these days but the dredge should be in Palmer an installed by summer, Moosey said. Meanwhile the installation of new “clarifiers,” the equipment that breaks up sludge and helps it settle in ponds more efficiently, in underway now.

The entire upgrade to the plant must be completed and operating by Aug. 1 under terms of a compliance order the city has agreed on with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over past environmental violations at the plant.

The new dredge is among the upgrades promised by the city. If the commitment isn’t met Palmer could be subject to up to $4 million in fines.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has put $6.9 million in his proposed state capital budget as a state contribution the project. If it is approved the grant would reduce the amount of funding the city must raise through loans or other grants.

Securing legislators’ approval for the $6.9 million state appropriation is Palmer’s top priority for the 2022 legislative session, Moosey said.

The council also formally approved a financing plan for the water and wastewater improvements. While there was no disagreement, Palmer resident Erik Anderson spoke during a public hearing on the finance resolution about the need for all residents in Palmer to be hooked up to the city’s utilities.

While the focus now is on paying for the construction the long-term costs of operations, maintenance and eventually renewal must be carried by as many people as possible in the city.

“Water and sewer provides the city’s second-largest source of revenue after property taxes,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s concerns are reportedly focused on real estate developer Connie Yoshimura’s planned housing project which is inside the city but has its own utility system.

In another item, city clerk Shelly Acteson said early voting will begin April 4 on the special election to recall three city council members, Brian Daniels, Sabrena Combs and Jill Valerius.

Acteson said she will issue a formal public notice of the election March 20.

Absentee voting can be done at the City of Palmer offices during business hours, Acteson said Voting on the day of the election will be done at the Matanuska Susitna Borough offices, she said.

Two instigators of the recall, Jackie Ivy Goforth and Cindy Hudgins, showed up to use the audience participation portion of the meeting to respond to critics, in the case of Goforth, and to attempt a civics lesson for the council in the case of Hudgins.

In “Audience Participation” local citizens can speak their mind to the council on any subject with a time limit of three minutes.

In her remarks Goforth said she is rescinding an apology she made over caustic remarks to certain council members during an earlier meeting, which brought a rebuke. A conservative activist, Goforth said she had researched U.S. laws and now feels she is protected under first amendment free speech rights in making remarks critical of a public official, even if they are incendiary.

In her remarks, Hudgins, also a conservative activist, accused the city council of trying to control Palmer citizens. She read definitions of the word “liberty” to the council, that it means people shouldn’t be restricted by governments.

“You thought we were a sleepy little town?” Hudgins asked.

The council also approved a change to the city code laying out the procedure to be followed in the donation and placement of memorial plaques in public spaces.

The code addition describes where and of what size plaques can be and the procedure to be followed in obtaining city approval, which in the end requires the city council to approve the placements.

In another action the council approved the city’s notice to the state of Alaska that it has no objections to the renewal of three local liquor licenses, for Matansuka Brewing Co., Moosehead Saloon and the Palmer Alehouse.