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​Building Our Future - ​ Delivering better economic opportunities, more housing, affordable childcare, and a reliable energy future. 

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Anchorage is an incredible community with incredible potential, situated on the traditional homelands of the Dena'ina Athabascans.

 

In recent years, Anchorage has seen challenging trendlines when it comes to workforce, out-migration, housing and economic development, and affordability. Mayor LaFrance is committed to tackling these challenges head-on and driving Anchorage toward its potential as a vibrant subarctic community. That incl​udes removing barriers to housing development, spurring economic development, improving access to quality childcare, and driving a more reliable energy future.


These areas of interest have been identified as focuses by Mayor LaFrance in the effort to Build Our Future:

  • Housing
  • Economic Development
  • Workforce Development and Childcare
  • Energy

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Department Goals that Contribute to Achieving​​ the Mayor's Mission:


Chief Administrative Officer – Grant Development 
  • Secure additional funds to support municipal projects and services 
Chief Administrative Officer – Venues 
  • Provide cost-effective quality-of-life offerings 
Development Services
  • Work with the community and legislature to revamp outdated regulatory requirements hindering economic development.
  • Incentivize more multifamily development by building regulatory discretion into codified off-site improvement requirements. 
  • Simplify permitting, review and inspection processes with updated and improved software functionality. ​
  • Collaborate with the development community to identify development roadblocks and find compromises. 
  • ​Rework contract bonding language in coordination with the Legal Department to allow for a more diverse pool of contractors to bid on private development projects, create a more competitive bidding environment and drive down construction prices. ​
Equity & Justice 
  • Establish baseline equity data targets/benchmarks in collaboration with partners and establish goals and initiatives to make progress and processes to track outcomes. 
  • Develop methods to determine how disparate impacts will be documented and evaluated. 
  • Collect, evaluate, and analyze indicators and progress benchmarks related to addressing systemic disparities. 
Finance Department – Public Finance and Investments Division 
  • Maintain a rating of at least “AA” for the MOA’s general obligation bonds. 
  • Refund any outstanding debt that provides a minimum net present value savings and provide the most cost-effective source of financing for all departments of the MOA. 
  • Invest only in securities that comply with AMC at the time of investment. 
  • Provide an investment return, gross of fees, that outperforms the respective benchmark for each portfolio manager within the MCP.
Finance Department – Treasury Division 
  • ​Provide enhanced service to the general public and business community and increase growth in e-commerce (i.e., information sharing and monetary transactions) through increased public use of the Municipal website and other means. 
Health 
  • Increase community and agency partnerships in public health initiatives. 
  • Improve public health of the next generation through education, counseling, and supporting infant breastfeeding. 
  • Improve the quality of life for Aging and Disability Resource Center clients through information referral and options counseling to support cost-effective decisions about long-term service and support needs. 
  • Increase the well-being of children and the public through response to reports of child treatment concerns (abuse, neglect, injury, supervision, safety hazards, etc.) in childcare facilities. 
Library 
  • Improve economic advancement by providing equitable access to computing equipment, programs, and resources. 
  • Improve civic engagement, cultural enrichment, and enhance the quality of life for all Anchorage residents through provision of life-long educational services including library materials, online resources, and programs/events. 
  • Increase opportunities for our children’s success when they enter school, by supporting the foundations of reading, social skills, and creative skills through early learning educational activities. 
  • Enhance quality of life for all Anchorage Residents through library services.​

Municipal Attorney 

  • Support departments with a role in Anchorage’s economic, energy and housing development. 
  • Assist departments, administration, and Assembly in efforts to communicate and coordinate on shared goals. 
  • Advise administration on policies and proposed code changes to improve the Municipality’s ability to recruit and retain qualified employees. 

Parks & Recreation 

  • Engage residents and user groups to actively participate and volunteer in park projects and stewardship. 
  • Continued investment in parks and trails to create jobs and support construction industry. 
  • Collaborate with non-profits such as the Anchorage Park Foundation and Visit Anchorage on initiatives to expand tourism in Anchorage. 
  • Partner with organizations such as the Anchorage Downtown Partnership and other non-profit organizations to provide programing and events in parks. 
  • Provide new opportunities for concessionaires to operate in parks to support small business while enhancing user experience. 
  • Provide satisfying positive experiences through quality recreation, leisure and civic programs in Anchorage’s parks and facilities. 
  • Partner with schools to provide outdoor programing opportunities in parks and along trails. 
  • Provide recreation programs and services that are affordable and accessible to all residents. ​

Planning 

  • Engage the community in land use planning activities to make decisions about land uses and transportation, as well as public facilities, economic development, housing, and other public issues that are vital to a healthy and livable community. 
  • Review and make necessary changes to codes, regulations, land use approval, building permit and other processes to reduce barriers to housing and non-residential development. 
  • Assist health and higher education partners in implementing their campus master plans to ensure continued quality health care and higher education is provided in-state. 

Project Management & Engineering 

  • Support economic growth and development by responding to public inquiries regarding easements and plats to be filed with the District Recorder’s Office. 
  • Ensure land surveying records and project information are in conformance with Municipal Code and Alaska State Statute. Provide survey support to municipal departments. 
  • Support project development as the lead acquisition agent for the Municipality by acquiring property interest as required on capital projects and various property and easement requests on municipal owned land. Serve as the direct contact for property owners with questions regarding ownership and right-of-way easement interests. 
  • Protect Anchorage’s streams and waterways from pollutant sources by managing permit programs to meet stormwater discharge compliance with State and Federal permit requirements.​

Public Transportation 

  • Operate an equitable transportation system that connects people to opportunity. 
  • Connect people to jobs and jobs with people. 
  • Increase mobility options to help get the community back to work and allowing them to get to school, church, grocery store, medical services, and other supporting businesses. 
  • Provide fast and frequent service to make public transportation a viable option for residents and tourists and allow employers to tap into a larger workforce. 
  • Expand access to People Mover fare sales using new and existing technology. 
  • Contribute to economic development, improved environmental quality, better public health, land use, and improved quality of life. 
  • Operate an equitable transportation system that offers individuals greater opportunity to better themselves and provide for their families. 
  • Connect social service agencies with people experiencing homelessness through transit services and facilities. 
  • Support parking reductions that lower development costs in transit supportive development corridors. 

Purchasing 

  • Increase local vender participation in solicitations. 
  • Continue to work with and explore alternative procurement methods when contracting situations would benefit from their use. ​

Real Estate 

  • Identify municipal raw lands suitable for pre-development activities, e.g., zoning, platting, roads, water/sewer, etc. 
  • Maximize amount of acreage available for development of housing by reviewing inventories, determining if surplus to municipal needs, perform steps necessary for disposal, market approved disposals, complete real estate transactions with private parties to create a larger available housing inventory.