Good evening everyone and welcome to our regular business meeting. Chair Constant is out of town this evening, so I am chairing the meeting tonight and Member Brawley will serve as Vice Chair.
Passing of MOA Employee
As the Mayor mentioned, this week we were saddened to hear of the loss of one of our own – Anchorage Health Department employee Lauren Cameron. She was well respected for her leadership in the Women, Infants, and Children program and will be greatly missed by all who knew her and benefited from her work. My condolences go to her partner, family and colleagues. This is a very difficult time for you and my heart goes out to you.
Project Anchorage
Now, turning to the business of the meeting, tonight we are taking up legislation for the Project Anchorage sales tax. Since this is a complex issue with many moving parts, I want to share some procedural information so members of the audience can better follow along. First, I recommend visiting the Assembly’s Project Anchorage webpage at
muni.org/ProjectAnchorage for project history and documents.
For background, AO 2024-105, an ordinance proposing a sales tax, was first introduced in October by Members Sulte and Rivera, and a draft substitute, or S-version, of that ordinance was shared by the sponsors at a worksession on December 6. I highly recommend that everyone watch the recordings of the two worksessions held on the Project Anchorage sales tax on December 6, as they provide some important background and discussion points.
Since those worksessions, the sponsors have finalized their S-version and several other members have put forward alternative S-versions, so there is now one original and five S-versions of AO 2024-105 that are on the agenda for tonight. As we move forward, it is conceivable that other S-versions are introduced, and it is very likely that changes will be made to the existing S-versions. To keep up with the changes, we’ll give the S-version a new name. So, for instance, if a change is made to the S-1 version, it will then become AO 2024-105 (S-1-A).
We understand that this makes it difficult for the public to follow along, so our Legislative Services staff will keep
muni.org/ProjectAnchorage up to date with the different versions and sponsor statements to track the changes. Additionally, if you have already provided testimony on the original version, you will be allowed to testify again, as long as you keep your comments limited to the changes in the new versions.
I ask the public for your patience and understanding with the complexity of this process. This is a very consequential piece of legislation for our community with long-lasting effects, and Assembly Members are taking very seriously their role to hear public input and incorporate that feedback into the legislation.
Energy Retreat
Moving beyond Project Anchorage, I want to highlight the Assembly’s Energy Retreat that was held a few weeks ago. The Assembly heard from an incredible range of experts on energy and infrastructure, including many talented municipal employees. The day was eye-opening and inspiring and certainly gave everyone in the room plenty of ideas for actions we can take to prepare the Municipality for the looming Cook Inlet gas shortage. If you missed the retreat, the video recordings and meeting materials can be found on the
Assembly’s website under the news items.
Year in Review
Next, since tonight is the last meeting of the year, I wanted to reflect a bit on the Assembly’s work in 2024. We move at such a fast pace, and there’s always something new demanding our attention, so we don’t always take time to consider our accomplishments and see how our actions at each of the 24 regular meetings of the year add up to something bigger. This year we saw major advances in each of the Assembly’s five priority areas:
- In Housing Action, we passed a slate of legislation aimed at cutting red tape to make it easier to build housing, and we also directed funding to reduce hurdles to rehab old buildings and reclaim abandoned buildings for housing.
- In Supporting the Municipal Workforce, we funded and supported the delivery of an annual employee survey (hopefully the first of many to come) and funded 280,000 dollars in new programs that benefit municipal employees and increase retention.
- For the Port Modernization, we determined design concepts for both terminals and developed a funding pathway for Terminal One construction by approving a tariff surcharge increase to supplement the Municipality’s 500 million in grant funding.
- In our Fully Functional Municipal Services priority, we enhanced the security and efficiency of the ballot return process with our Title 28 Elections update and we funded the first year of an online bidding system for MOA contractors.
- And finally, in our Public Health, Safety and Quality of Life priority, we saw achievement of a long-time Assembly goal when we made the Mobile Crisis Team permanent in code and got to 24-7 funding for operations. We also made progress on developing options to restore the Eklutna River, including a landmark joint action with Native Village of Eklutna that went straight to the Governor’s Office. Out of everything we’ve accomplished this year, our work with NVE brings me the most pride.
The Assembly is in the process of developing a full list of our 2024 accomplishments and setting our 2025 priorities. That work will take place at our January Rules Committee and a 2025 workplan should be on the agenda for approval next February.
Thanks
Of course, I would be remiss to celebrate the Assembly’s accomplishments without acknowledging all of the people who contribute toward achieving these goals. From the department directors who brief us at committee meetings and worksessions, to the municipal staff who help us research and create the legislation and budgets, to the community partners who bring us new ideas and innovative solutions, and the members of the public who hold us accountable by attending our meetings and sharing unique perspectives in testimony and emails – you are all critical to the Assembly’s work.
We also owe a big thanks to the Mayor and her team. It’s been great to have you rejoin the municipal team Madame Mayor and I thank you for your vision and leadership in advancing our shared goals to make our community an even better place.
And behind the scenes, I want to thank all of the municipal employees who keep our city running, keep us safe, and improve our quality of life through your service to our community.
Last, but not least, I want to thank the Assembly’s staff team – the Municipal Clerk’s Office, Assembly Counsel, Legislative Services and the Ombudsman’s Office. We can’t do what we do up here without you and I know all of the Members are grateful for your help.
I hope everyone enjoys this holiday break between Assembly meetings and I look forward to a productive and collaborative 2025!