Wasilla City Council approves new offer to purchase Meta Rose Square

WASILLA — The Wasilla City Council unanimously approved the sale of Meta Rose Square to Richard and Tyan Payne on Monday night.

“We’re buying it because it’s our desire to revitalize it and make this the hub again for the city,” Richard Payne said.

Richard and Tyan Payne live in Wasilla, and Richard works for the Denali Law Group. The previous person who had entered into an agreement with the city of Wasilla to buy Meta Rose Square, Sung Son Yu, withdrew for reasons he would not disclose. The Payne family agreed to purchase the building as is, with the exception of a roof top heater, for $975,000.

“The acquisition of the Meta Rose Square was probably not the city’s finest hour, to put it mildly. But I think it’s an asset the city has been able to maintain and to use to the benefit of the city. While I am disappointed that we will be on paper losing about a half-million dollars in this sale, when we look at the overall performance of the asset over several years it’s almost a wash,” said Councilman Stu Graham.

Public Works Director Archie Giddings says the sale is expected to be finalized within 30 days, and Mayor Bert Cottle said he expected to announce the sale at the next meeting on July 9.

“We’re not idiots. We think we can make a profit. To do that we’re going to have to invest a lot of money. It’s iconic. There’s nothing quite like the clock tower,” Payne said.

Payne said by phone that he was excited to purchase Meta Rose Square and the iconic clock tower and believes the city of Wasilla is treating he and his wife fairly in the sale. However, he believes that they can improve Meta Rose Square. Payne said that managing private property is not something the city is meant to do and best left to private business owners.

“We think we can turn it around and make it pretty exciting, something the city can take pride in,” said Payne.

Cottle also named James Harvey Deputy Mayor, as of July 1. Graham, the previous deputy mayor, was thanked by many council members for his time in the position during council comments.

“It’s more of a ceremonial thing. I do look forward to any opportunity to learn new things, such as running the meeting. I just look forward to more opportunity to meet the public and get out and deal with the public a little more,” said Harvey.

Graham moved to postpone Resolution 18-16: Adopting Fiscal Year 2019 Salary Structure and Pay Ranges for Non-Union Employees, International Union Of Operating Engineers’ Local 302, And Laborers Local 341 Employees of the city of Wasilla. Graham wanted more time to review the contract. He remarked to Finance Director Troy Tankersly that he had done the same last year and mentioned a special session to report.

“We’re significantly off where we thought we were going to be: is that just because we haven’t finalized the reporting for the last part of May, or were we actually down 13 percent from where we were thought we were going to be,” questioned Graham.

Cottle confirmed that in the agreement, the city would pay 50 percent of the closing costs concerning fixing the heater.

“Sales tax is one of those things that it’s really hard to know. I have my speculations as to what’s going on. I think I’m reluctant to say so, but I think there’s some consumer spending...On top of that you’ve got the big robust online boom we’ve been seeing and everybody’s missing across the state,” Tankersly said.

City Attorney Leslie Need detailed a decision by the supreme court that pertains to taxation of online distributors and if they were required to maintain a physical presence in the area that they were being taxed.

Mayor Cottle read a proclamation declaring July 4 to be Independence Day.

“The question of how this might work here, that’s a separate or further legal analysis that our office has not conducted because we haven’t gotten an indication that that’s something you all want us to look into. We could. There is case law in this decision that cites two municipal based cases including one we had in Valdez. For now I’m not prepared to offer analysis that this is a sweeping blank check for cities,” Need said.

Sen. David Wilson of Senate District D made an appearance during persons to be heard.

“I just missed you guys,” Wilson said.

Wilson commented on Alaska State Trooper activity and an initiative by Americans For Prosperity that hopes to move the October election to November, supposedly increasing the numbers of voter turnout from 19 percent to 60 percent.

“That’s something we had talked about in our State Affairs right before we adjourned this last session. I don’t believe they will be going to a mail in ballot for this upcoming general election. My idea, my understanding of the initiative is just trying to get more people out to vote,” Wilson said.

Public meeting provocateur Eugene Haberman made multiple appearances during the meeting. In a turn of events, he praised Graham for his motion to move resolution 18-16, the city employees contract, to the July 9 meeting. He then chastised the council for weak printer ink on one of their handouts and claimed that they had to move to postpone so the public could have time to read the ordinance.

Following fireworks at last week’s Mat-Su Borough Assembly meeting when Haberman challenged Borough Mayor Vern Halter and Assemblywoman Barb Doty on her recusal on a vote concerning the Wolf Lake Airport which she owns, Haberman then felt the need to update the Wasilla City Council on the proceedings and wade back into hot water.

“When I went up there and I addressed concerns and stated the rules of what’s supposed to happen, I used the words ‘personal gain.’ The result: the mayor declared that it was inappropriate words and I needed to stop,” Haberman said.

It made for an alarming exchange between Cottle, who, as Wasilla Mayor, attends nearly every other public meeting in the Valley as he is able, and Haberman, who constantly chides boards and commissions for lack of public involvement.

“Stop right now because you went beyond that. Okay, I was there. I know what you said. Listen, the Mayor is right. You were out of line and that wasn’t all you said, so you were out of line and she did recuse herself,” Cottle corrected.

Haberman claimed that due to Cottle’s interruption, he would not be allowed his three minutes of time.

“You can have your time, don’t worry. Be careful where you head because I was there too. This isn’t just a one sided story because I was there. They had legal representation. You can smile all you want because it’s not funny. I know what you're doing, and you’re trying to grandstand me because the newspaper guy is here. Okay he can go and listen to the tape too, go ahead, you’ll get your three minutes.”

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com.