Wasilla official responds to candidate's blast

July 17, 2005

Spectrum/Ron Singel

The July 8 Spectrum article by [mayoral candidate] Steve Stoll was interesting because much of the information was a concoction of half-truths and inaccuracies.

For the sake of accuracy, let's take a couple of minutes to separate the truth from the erroneous statements regarding Wasilla's capital improvement plan.

First, what is a capital improvement plan? What does it do?

The capital improvement plan is a list of projects the city has identified as desirable to accomplish in the next five years. Preparation and passage of a five-year CIP is a common practice and a prudent plan of action for communities looking to their future. A CIP does not appropriate funds. It functions as a budgeting and planning tool, supporting the actual appropriations that are made through adoption of the annual budget.

As each annual budget is adopted, some projects on the five-year CIP will be funded, some new projects will be added, and some projects may move to a different projected funding cycle. It is meant to be a fluid document that can be adjusted as community needs change. Only the projects that make it to year one of the five-year CIP are funded.

Now armed with that information, let's look at some of the items in the Friday Spectrum article.

The first disputable point deals with a multi-purpose trail to Big Lake. The need for a multi-purpose Wasilla-to-Big Lake trail has been identified and discussed for years by residents of Wasilla, Big Lake and the rest of the borough.

The city decided to finally move forward and make this trail a real project. We have been successful in obtaining the first $2,550,000 for this project. We have $2 million from the state, $500,000 from a federal appropriation, and $50,000 from the city to be used for the environmental assessment necessary to select a route for this trail. Once a route is selected, we are committed to working with the borough and the state to get the trail built.

It is also is wrong to link the trail funding with Lucille Street. The truth about Lucille Street is that Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities has $1 million from a federal appropriation earmarked for improvements to Lucille Street and Mack Drive in federal fiscal year 2006. DOT is also planning to use the Highway Safety Improvement Program funds to place a traffic signal at the intersection of Lucille Street and Nelson Avenue as part of the Crusey to Lucus project in FY 06-FY07. The preliminary design for the traffic signal is already complete.

There will be no cost to the city for the installation of this traffic signal; however, we will be responsible for the cost of maintenance.

The city would like to set aside $250,000 for an events marquee to let people know what is happening around town. Why would Mr. Stoll tie this to volunteer firefighters and EMTs working for the borough? He obviously knows that volunteer firefighter and EMTs work for the borough, not the city of Wasilla. Funds for fire and EMS services in the greater Wasilla service area are generated by a 1.5-mill levy on property. When the Wasilla Lakes fire service area board has come to the city for support for their operating and capital budget requests to the borough, the city has supported them because of our concerns for public safety.

At the request of the parks and recreation commission and the planning commission, we have included $450,000 in the five-year capital plan for establishing a greenbelt on Cottonwood Creek, to preserve this wonderful green space for the public forever.

Mr. Stoll seems to believe the public has a right to trespass on this property today to enjoy the peace and beauty of the creek. Mr. Stoll's information is incorrect. As a surveyor, Mr. Stoll should know that there are no public-use or creek-maintenance easements along Cottonwood Creek in the vicinity of the Parks Highway today. The only restriction on this private property is a 75-foot water body setback to prevent building a structure there that would provide a habitable shelter. Nothing would prevent clear cutting or paving this area.

The commissioners feel it would be better to keep this area open and green. The only way to do that is to purchase the land and then to create a publicly owned greenbelt.

We are looking at $5.3 million in further improvements at the sports complex in the next five years. Projects include ball fields, completing the parking lot paving and a RV parking area, purchasing a portable floor to cover the ice and building a football stadium and trail system. From an economic development perspective, this facility will be a sports complex second to none, which we can market in order to draw people from all over the state. As a community, we should be proud to have a facility of this standard and magnitude.

By the way, thanks to our legislators and the governor, the commercial kitchen and emergency generators for the sports complex were funded this legislative session and we will begin design and construction this year.

As to Mr. Stoll's comment that all these amenities were part of the original $14.5-million bond issue, that is not exactly true. The bond was not able to fund everything we wanted to do, therefore, we had to prioritize.

The bond covered the land purchase, the building and equipment. In addition, the city has partnered with the American Red Cross in case of an emergency to provide shelter and food there for displaced residents and visitors.

Mr. Stoll also is critical of the $250,000 we plan to spend for septic tank replacement in the next five years. The fact is that we have a sewer system using a pressurized septic tank system. The decision to use this type of system was made in the mid 1980s. Now that it is in place, we are responsible to maintain it, e.g. the septic tank replacement program. Mr. Stoll has been at many council meetings where the public works director has discussed the need to upgrade our existing system in the next 10 to 20 years.

Mr. Stoll's area of expertise is as a land surveyor, not as a civil engineer or a certified sewer plant operator, and not as a grant writer with experience in applying for sewer plant funding, so no matter how well intentioned he may be, the city's information on how to operate and upgrade this sewer plant is going to come from our consulting engineers, who have years of experience, training and expertise in sewer plant operation and construction. Connecting to the Palmer does not reduce our need for septic tank maintenance. The collection system would need to be replaced at a cost of 50 to 100 million dollars.

The city's five-year CIP has targeted $3.7 million for paving in the next five years. Mr. Stoll was present at the budget meeting when we announced that we have already been awarded $1 million in federal funds by working with our Washington, D.C., lobbyist to match $1 million in local funds in FY 06 for road construction.

Are we hopeful that an additional $1.7 will come from federal, state and local funds in the next four years? Yes, we are. There are 60 miles of roads in Wasilla, and about half of them are paved. Our goal is to pave 21 miles of gravel roads in the next five years, which will reduce the current maintenance costs for these roads. Regarding the LIDs, the city of Wasilla collects a 2-percent administrative charge on LID projects. This is not a "profit." It is to cover the additional staff time and other costs associated with LID bonds. Mr. Stoll is free to check around to see what other local governments charge for the same LID administrative services.

The Homeland Security grants of $1.2 million are being spent to protect the city infrastructure and citizens so our soldiers serving at home or abroad don't have to worry about what is happening here. What does Mr. Stoll propose to spend on soldiers who are serving home or abroad? Where does he propose to get the money?

The $1.125-million project to connect East Susitna Avenue to the Palmer-Wasilla Extension will provide direct access for several previously inaccessible parcels of land, and provide an alternate route from the Parks Highway and Knik-Goose Bay Road to the Palmer-Wasilla Extension. Home Depot has not asked for, or need, a "back door." Mr. Stoll should take a ride up the Palmer-Wasilla Highway to see that there are already two access points into The Home Depot.

The city is planning to spend $300,000 in the next five years on Web site upgrades. Our goal is to give our residents the option to pay their bills online, research ordinances, view city maps and aerial photographs, read agendas and notices online, and be able to fill out applications and forms from their home computers, if they want.

In this age of information, more demands are being made to use the Internet and Web sites for the retrieval of information. Additionally, instituting online services is an efficient way to accomplish what the public is asking us for.

Please, look at the city's capital projects list for the next five years. We have recently sent out CIP project nomination forms to many local organizations. You may also get a copy of the nomination form at the planning office or by going to the city Web site, www.cityofwasilla.com. The CIP information is linked to Mayor Dianne M. Keller's Web page. Information on when the forms are due and the dates for review and adoption are on the nomination form letter at this same site.

The city of Wasilla is committed to moving forward, committed to planned growth, committed to improving the quality of life we enjoy in Wasilla, Alaska. And we are committed to the public process whereby the people take part in the plans for the betterment of our community and our future. We have done that and will continue to do so. I have never seen a community more inclined to involve the public in the governmental decision-making process.

It is very easy to criticize from the outside looking in. However, it is another matter of much greater significance and much greater value to be part of the solution.

Wasilla is a progressive and growing community. The mayor, city employees, and I think we owe it to the citizens we serve, to provide the best and most accurate information to assist in the decision-making process. That is why I felt it was of utmost importance to correct the half-truths and inaccurate information Mr. Stoll provided in the July 8 Spectrum.

Ron J. Singel is Wasilla's economic development director.