Wasilla council approves funds for various repairs around city

WASILLA — The Wasilla City Council voted to appropriate $95,065 for repair and maintenance around the city and also heard a report from Matanuska Electric Association Director of External Affairs Julie Estey.

The council presented for public hearing Ordinance 19-04 to amend the budget by appropriating $76,100 from the General Fund Balance and $18,965 from the Sewer Fund Balance for a number of repairs and maintenance items. Public Works Director Archie Giddings briefed the council on the items that required repair. The ordinance calls for the funds to be spent on roads, property, sewers and the library. A sewage truck and a grader both require repairs, and the money for the library is troubleshooting a long-standing problem with the boiler.

“The repairs to the sewer facility are coming from the fund balance. We’re not moving money into that, nor were we taking money from the sewer fund balance to accomplish these other repairs and I think it’s really important to a lot of citizens to know that’s happening,” said Councilman Stu Graham.

The library will also have a water softener added. The Sewer Treatment Plant requires the replacement of a stainless steel screw that has 10-year useful life. Many of the repairs to property were sustained during the earthquake on Nov. 30, 2018.

Estey alerted the council that the clearing of brush MEA crews are doing in downtown is part of a seven-year clearing cycle coming to an end. Estey said that MEA is clearing their easements every seven years to use lawnmowers more often than chainsaws and not be a disturbance to residents. Estey also communicated to the council that MEA will attempt to clear its brush piles more efficiently in response to concern from citizens in Wasilla. Estey told the council that MEA plans to upgrade the Theodore substation on Knik Goose-Bay Road, which will increase the capacity and reliability of their services in April. Estey was pleased to inform the council that MEA decreased its rates by $1.

“We’re doing what we can to stabilize rates,” Estey said. “We’re doing what we can. We know a dollar is not quite enough but it’s a start and we’re going to continue to get every penny we can for you guys.”

The council also presented for public hearing Ordinance 19-03 amending the Air Show Advisory Committee’s membership from seven to five members. Mayor Bert Cottle informed the council that one of the open police officer positions had been filled and he was hopeful about the five current openings. Cottle took a meeting on JBER to discuss recruiting military police officers to serve with the Wasilla Police Department and said that his meeting was scheduled right after Anchorage Police.

“Everybody’s looking,” Cottle said.

The council unanimously passed the consent agenda, approving $36,038 for design on Clapp Street by HDL Engineering Consultants in Action Memorandum 19-06. The council passed two action memorandums to purchase radio equipment totaling $891,034.

Councilman Tim Burney made a confession during comments at the close of the meeting.

“I haven’t seen many plastic bags in the trees… As much as I miss my single muti-use plastic bags, I can say that there is a huge improvement on the parks this year,” Burney said.

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