Project contact: Tom Davis, (907) 343-7916, tom.davis@anchorageak.gov  ​

Project News​:​

January 30, 2025: The Planning Department is requesting postponement to March 10 for the continuation of the public hearing on Case 2024-0100, the 10-Year Review of Community Council Boundaries. The public hearing was opened at the January 6 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) and continued to February 3. This postponement to the March 10 PZC meeting is to give community councils who have not been able to comment enough time to deliberate and vote on a resolution stating their recommendations as to their boundaries. For example, several community councils made new proposals for boundary changes during the public comment period in December and January, and a few of the affected neighboring community councils have not had enough time to consider and convey their own positions regarding such proposals. Staff also needs to further research information in response to questions raised by community councils during the public comment period. 

The March 10 staff report will address all public comments received, and any necessary amendments to the October 2024 public hearing draft ordinance and its recommended community council maps (see the October 2024 Public Hearing Draft materials below).  The public comment period began at the end of October, and community councils were notified of the Public Hearing Draft materials for review on November 1. To date, nearly 20 community councils have submitted resolutions stating their positions as to the recommended boundaries. More resolutions are anticipated in the coming weeks.

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October 2024 Public Hearing Draft Materials for Public Review

• 11-1-2024 Email notification to community council executive boards of the release of public hearing draft boundary recommendations (PZC Case No. 2024-0100), with guidance for community councils
  
• Public Hearing Draft Assembly Ordinance (AO) Regarding the 10-Year Review and Adjustment of Community Council Boundaries
  
• AO Exhibit A: Community Council District Maps 
  
• Public Hearing Draft Report and Recommendations regarding Community Council Boundaries
  
• Appendix A: Questionnaire Responses and Public Comments Identifying Boundary Study Areas
  
• Appendix B: Boundary Advisory Committee Minutes and Action Summary
  
• Appendix C: Boundary Study Area Maps 
  

Project Background:

The Municipality in 2022-2023 initiated a 10-year review of Community Council district boundaries including collecting feedback regarding the Community Council district boundaries from the public and Community Councils, and after a hiatus through much of 2024, the project resumed in the fall of 2024 for its final stage. 

Every 10 years the Municipality reviews the geographic boundaries of the Community Council districts and seeks input as to whether any boundaries between neighborhood community council districts should be adjusted. A 10-year review is required by municipal code in AMC 2.40.040. This is to ensure that the geographic boundaries of all Community Councils continue to reflect their neighborhoods, and that all citizens continue to get representation by an active, engaged community council for their area. The Municipality last conducted comprehensive boundary reviews in 2003 and 2014. For more information about this project and the public process we are following, please see part 1 (pages 5-9) of the Public Hearing Draft Report and Recommendations, hyperlinked above.

​Project Timeline:

• November 2022 - February 2023: Survey Questionnaire and Other Outreach to Identify Boundary Study Areas
• March 2023 - September 2023: Boundary Advisory Committee Meets to Evaluate Boundary Study Areas and Make its Recommendations

Intermission

• October 2024 - January/February 2024: Release and Public Review of the Public Hearing Draft Recommended Boundaries
• January and February 2024: Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) Public Hearings and Recommendations to Anchorage Assembly 
• March or April 2025 (schedule TBD): Anchorage Assembly Public Hearing and Final Action 

References:​

Questionnaire​ Responses Identifying the Boundary Study Areas

Many thanks to all who responded to this project's online questionnaire regarding your Community Council district's area and boundaries, or who emailed comments directly to the Planning Department project staff. The survey questionnaire went live in November 2022 and closed at the end of the business day on Friday, February 17, 2023. The survey responses and other comments received were used to identify the boundary study areas for evaluation. White Paper No. 2 (below) and its appendices summarized the public feedback received and lists the resulting boundary study areas being evaluated in this 10-Year Review project. All this information including the public feedback is incorporated into the October 2024 Public Hearing Draft Report and Recommendations and its appendices (see top of web page).    ​

White Papers​ 

• White Paper No. 1 - Criteria for Considering Boundary Study Areas
  
• White Paper No. 2 - Boundary Study Areas -- 6-9-2023 Revised Draft​​
• Boundary Study Area Maps for 6-12-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting​
  
• Appendix A - Online Questionnaire Responses and Email Comments -- 3-23-2023 Revised Draft 
• Appendix B - Identification of Boundary Study Areas from Public Comments -- 3-23-2023 Revised Draft
• Appendix C - Summary Table of Boundary Study Areas -- 3-23-2023 Revised Draft​
  

Maps and Resources

• Community Council Boundaries Review Project Map (web map app from 2022)
• Community Councils Map (The Municipality's online map app of existing community council districts)​
• Assembly Information Memo (AIM) 070-2022 Mandatory Community Council Boundary Review (April 26, 2022)
• Anchorage Municipal Code (AMC) Section 2.40.040, Establishment of Community Council Districts​

Boundary Advisory Committee​ 

A Boundary Advisory Committee made up of a geographically representative group of 12 volunteers from among the Community Councils was organized in early 2023 to provide feedback to the Planning Department and the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding the boundary study areas that were identified by the questionnaire responses and other public comments. See the October 2024 Public Hearing Draft Report and Recommendations (in part 1 of the report) for more information about the Committee's role in the process. The Boundary Advisory Committee held five publicly noticed meetings to evaluate the boundary study areas identified in White Paper No. 2 (above) and provide its recommendations. Following is a summary of its actions and other information:  

• Action Summary from Boundary Advisory Committee Meetings - final (This is October 4, 2023 corrected version replaces draft versions posted on September 8 and 15.)
  
• Boundary Advisory Committee Member List​

• Introduction Letter to Boundary Advisory Committee
  
• Update to the Federation of Community Councils, February 15, 2023
• 10-Year Review Initiation Letter to Officers, November 4, 2022
• Volunteer Request Email, January 5, 2023 (This email was sent to the community council officers master contact list. Assembly members, the Community Councils Center, and the municipal Ombudsman also received the email.)

Boundary ​Advisory Committee Meeting #1: February 27, 2023

• 2-27-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Agenda with Meeting Packet
• 2-27-2023 Initial Draft of White Paper No. 2 - Boundary Study Areas
• Appendix A - Online Questionnaire Responses (2-27-23 DRAFT)
  
• Appendix B - Identification of Boundary Study Areas from Questionnaire Responses (2-27-23 DRAFT)
• Appendix C - Summary of Boundary Study Areas (2-27-23 DRAFT)
• 2-27-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #1 Minutes

​Boundary ​Advisory Committee Meeting #2: April 3, 2023

• 4-3-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Agenda and Packet Items
• Maps for 4-3-23 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting
• 4-3-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #2 Minutes (meeting recording is available below at the bottom of the web page)​

Boundary ​Advisory Committee Meeting #3: April 24, 2023

• 4-24-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Agenda
• ​White Paper No. 2 - Boundary Study Areas -- 4-20-2023 Revised Draft 
• Maps for 4-24-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting
• 4-24-2023 Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #3 Minutes (meeting recording is available below at the bottom of the web page)

Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #4: May 1, 2023

Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #5: June 12, 2023

Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting #6: September 26, 2023

Boundary Advisory Committee Meeting Recordings

• CCBAC Meeting 1 Recording (Not available due to technical problems - please refer to the meeting minutes, above) 
• CCBAC Meeting 2 Recording - 2023-04-03 .mp4
• CCBAC Meeting 3 Recording - 2023-04-24.mp4
• CCBAC Meeting 4 Recording - 2023-05-01.mp4
• CCBAC Meeting 5 Recording - 2023-06-12.mp4    
  
  

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