Wasilla Council reviews goals, objectives for upcoming fiscal year

Wasilla’s city council met in special session Monday evening spending several hours reviewing its goals and objectives for fiscal year 2018. The main focus was insuring continued growth and expansion of the city’s business climate, infrastructure and technology needs.

Mayor Bert Cottle presented and reviewed a nine-page document each with a goal followed by initiatives to reach that goal and city departments involved. Lists goals included: keeping local government efficient and accountable to the citizen; continue to enhance and expand city technology infrastructure; encourage a strong and diverse city base; refine and improve the long-term capital project plan to preserve and improve city infrastructure to provide for future growth; to develop stable and equitable revenue sources to accomplish its mission statement; progress continuation of making sure enterprise funds are self-sufficient while meeting environmental and developmental needs; continuation of high quality law enforcement; preserve and enhance quality of life for current and future residents and visitors; and continue implementation of a comprehensive plan.

Some of the highlights of the meeting focused on maintaining a zero millage rate on property taxes and the city’s 2-percent sales tax— its main revenue source. Regarding technology infrastructure, the council felt it prudent to expand enhanced online options for fillable forms, making payments, maps and permitting. It also felt it important to maintain and enhance audio feeds from city council and commission meetings.

Like most municipalities, the council felt it important to encourage new business location, and business investment. Accomplishing this will be done through actively marketing the city. Another goal is to continuing support and promotion of friendly annexation to augment business and residential expansion.

Concerning long-term growth, the council felt it imperative to continue annual investment of $1.25 million as a benchmark or target in city infrastructure improvements including expanded capacity of the sewage treatment plant and drinking water sources. On the revenue side of things, the council felt it important to earmark funds to help secure revenue sharing and/or other federal-state aid dollars. Along those lines, members felt it important to keep annual tabs on collected sales taxes and its effect on city businesses.

Airports in the city limits were an area of discussion. Council members felt a need to expand the number of airport tie-down spaces and lease lots to accommodate the aviation community and also expand airport revenues. Another area of expansion centered on the Curtis Menard Memorial Sports Center. The group wanted to continue seeking additional events at the national, state and regional levels to help offset operating costs while at the same time maintaining support of local use.

Discussing law enforcement, one of the goals is development of a new police facility and identify funding sources. The city is poised to take over as the borough’s 911 dispatch center later this year. Keeping its law enforcement personnel with updated equipment is another area of focus.

While discussing quality of life issues, the council felt it important to allocate annual funding for lake and waterway cleanup, assigning $100,000 annually to a land bank for future purchases of parcels which will meet that objective. It also wanted to utilize city facilities to encourage and promote cultural and recreational activities.

Comprehensive plan discussion included: publicizing its downtown plan to encourage new development, improve school safety for school students walking along or crossing Bogard Road, updating the city’s official streets and highways plan along with its official zoning map.