Valley reaps benefits

May 12, 2006

By DARRELL L. BREESE

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - Members of the state House of Representatives worked into the early morning hours Tuesday, finally approving a $3.6 billion capital spending bill shortly after 4 a.m.

A final vote of 35-4 approved the largest spending bill in state history. The bill will pay for construction of schools, roads, docks and other projects in Alaska communities.

Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, helped orchestrate the approval of the capital budget.

&#8220This year's capital spending plan is big, because it addresses the growing need for schools, transportation infrastructure and deferred maintenance work,” Green said. &#8220In other words, these expenditures will improve the quality of life for all Alaskans from Barrow to Ketchikan.”

More important, the budget has a lot for the Mat-Su Valley, which Green calls home. The state will send more than $220 million to the Valley for various capital improvement projects. Of that total, $104 million comes by way of congressional earmarks, meaning nearly $116 million of the funds comes out of the state's coffers.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Tim Anderson, who was in Juneau Monday and Tuesday for the final days of the legislative session, told the assembly Tuesday evening how he spent the night in his hotel room.

&#8220I was thumbing through the budget and started making two piles of the pages,” Anderson said. &#8220One was for projects coming to the Mat-Su Valley, and the other was for everywhere else. The pile for outside the borough was the biggest,” Anderson said. &#8220But we did very good as a borough.”

Nearly half of the funds committed to the Valley - $93 million - are dedicated to the Knik Arm bridge project, which drew some fire from Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage. He was one of the four who voted against the bill.

&#8220The bridge project is still in too much flux,” Gara said from the House floor. &#8220Costs possibly could reach over $1 billion. I don't believe the state should be funneling millions to the project until the full cost is known. Otherwise, the bridge could end up a bridge to somewhere, perhaps halfway across Knik Arm.”

In addition to the bridge money, millions in other appropriations are heading to the Valley.

Projects include road safety improvements, sewer and water extensions, school upgrades and repairs, senior center renovations, campground renovations, fire service equipment and various other discretionary projects.

&#8220After more than a month of deliberations, redrafts, amendments and public testimony, we have what I feel is a generous, balanced and fair capital appropriation bill,” Green said after the bill left the Senate Finance Committee.

The borough's top legislative priority, $5.5 million for repairs and renovation to the Su Valley Junior/Senior High School roof, had been approved in the supplemental budget, which was signed by Gov. Frank Murkowski on April 27. That allowed legislators to address other priorities when forming the capital budget.

Roads in the Valley were the biggest winners, with more than $70 million for addressing traffic congestion and upgrading existing roads.

&#8220I've mentioned several times this session the critical need for road improvements to our arterial roads,” Green said. &#8220This interim, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will begin paving, realigning, acquiring rights of way and extending many Valley roads.”

The Palmer-Wasilla Highway corridor will receive $12 million for improvements, Trunk Road realignment gets $26 million, and the Bogard-Seldon extension project will benefit from $5.5 million. Point MacKenzie Road and South Burma Road will be upgraded with the help of $15.35 million.

Arterial roads such as Clark-Wolverine will be upgraded, as will the Parks Highway and Vine Road intersection, and the Knik-Goose Bay Road and Fairview Loop intersection, which will have a traffic signal installed.

Borough Manager John Duffy sees tremendous benefits from investing in borough roads.

&#8220Reducing travel time and travel costs has a positive effect on economic development,” Duffy said, calling this the best year ever for capital projects.

&#8220The infrastructure improvements that will now take place will address our current growth and provide for new economic opportunities.”

A total of 82 projects received funding from the state, benefiting both the borough and the three cities within its boundaries.

The Wasilla Police Department will get funds to add an officer to combat sexual abuse, as well as drug enforcement.

Other projects include Bumpus Ball Field and Multi-Use Sports Complex upgrades.

Palmer will see extended services, road projects and infrastructure upgrades, including a steel water-main replacement, plant material center repairs, Chugach Street paving, and design/planning money for the Palmer Senior Center.

Perhaps the biggest boost for Palmer is the renovation of the Valley Hospital building as the future home of the state's first justice center.

Houston is slated to receive funding to purchase a new police cruiser and equipment for the volunteer fire department.

The Mat-Su Borough School District will see appropriations for area schools, such as football field lights at Houston High School, asbestos abatement and roof and boiler replacements.

The Senate cast a 15-5 vote of concurrence Tuesday, hours before the gavel fell signifying the end of the regular legislative session. The budget now awaits the governor's signature before funds will be released and the various projects around the Valley can begin.

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@ frontiersman.com.