Wasilla approves salary study

WASILLA — The Wasilla City Council passed ordinances for a salary survey and purchase of a parcel near city hall that may become future parking. The Council unanimously approved Ordinance 21-14 for a $27,000 salary survey study by a 5-0 vote to set the ordinance for a public hearing.

Councilman Jordan Rausa asked about whether wages of Wasilla Police Officers would be included in the study. Finance Director Troy Tankersly informed Rausa they would be included in the study, but that the wage study would be on a city-wide scale.

“Every organization and I would think even every city has special positions like you might be doing something totally different than Palmer for say your position, you might be in control of IT plus you’re doing some finance or you might be doing some public relations but you’re also in charge of the Menard Center and so it’s really hard just to blanketly say this person should make this this person should make that because these positions are all different. We really need to have it professionally looked at and make sure these people are being compensated,” said Councilwoman Nikki Velock. “I personally think this is very important and it is a wise use of $27,000.

The ordinance includes a contract proposal from Northern Economics. Many of the members of the council recently returned from the Alaska Municipal League conference in Fairbanks last weekend, discussing how salaries and positions differ across Alaskan cities.

“There’s a lot of economics in there that play a factor in there and the AML salary survey doesn’t provide that,” said Tankersly.

The council also voted unanimously 5-0 to approve a $70,200 appropriation from the land bank to purchase a lot adjacent to city hall. Councilman Tim Burney asked for clarification on the city land bank.

“If a land bank wasn’t established then in essence, you’re drawing from fund balance and depending on the activity of that year you may or may not be able to do that,” said Tankersly.

The property received one bid from the private sector that was not enough for the property owner, who approached Mayor Glenda Ledford.

“We are trying to establish downtown parking and so with this connecting to the parcels that we already have it will enhance what parking we’ve already got,” said Ledford.

Public Works Director Archie Giddings noted that the space would allow for connection between two other city owned properties and likely include a small bench and signage.

“What we’re proposing here is it’s going to be combined with two other lots that we have and the property owner had the same vision that the Mayor wants. It was the intent of the seller to have a “welcome to Wasilla” sort of feature which is in keeping with how we would have developed it and tied into our parking so that’s kind of the plan and the objective here,” said Giddings.

By a unanimous vote, Ordinance 21-15 was approved for introduction to have a public hearing, but Burney cautioned the council.

“This has been kind of a topic ever since I’ve been on city council and its how much is the city competing against private companies and are we sensitive to that or are we just trying to increase our investment portfolio within the city limits,” said Burney. “Are we sensitive to is there an opportunity for a commercial company to go in some of these properties that we’re acquiring.”

Councilman Rausa asked for Action Memorandum 21-35 to be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion. AM 21-35 calls for a $40,950 appropriation for 210 tons of road salt from the Bering Marine Corporation.

“There is all sorts of ways to thaw ice on our roads and the one that is most commonly chosen is the very worst. We have active salmon streams right here in our city we have a lake right next to the highway and these are all salmon spawning grounds and the salt is very bad for that,” said Rausa. “It is kind of shocking actually what we choose to do sometimes as people for financial reasons. Just because it’s good enough for DOT doesn’t always mean that for me personally I see it as good enough.”

Giddings noted that the 120 tons of salt would not be directly applied to the roads, nor drain into city lakes.

“Our sand is stockpiled outside and if we put no salt into it it would turn into a solid frozen ball of sand and it wouldn’t come out of a sander and so that’s the purpose of the salt is a 5 % mix with sand,” said Giddings.

Giddings extrapolated that Lake Lucille has seen extensive study from the DEC for water quality. With no stream flowing in and out, the groundwater fed lake is listed as an impaired water body for dissolved oxygen.

“It’s been on the DEC watch list for years for dissolved oxygen. Well most recently they look at it every year, they actually have went into the lake sediment with some Federal money to study the two DOT out falls. I think they’ve studied the whole lake but the found two small plumes so we see heavy metals and hydrocarbons so that’s what’s affecting the lake,” said Giddings. “They haven’t found any impacts of the salt and we got the grant last year to do a little lake management plan to address heavy metals and he hydrocarbon.”