Tonight, February 1, promises a long evening at Assembly chambers as we’ve got a pile of work in front of us, much of it related to what should appear on the April 5 ballot. Here’s a sampling (the whole agenda is here):
If you’ll indulge me a bit, I’d like to divert away from Assembly business for a moment and report an exciting development in the race for the Anchorage School Board; my good friend Gretchen Guess filed her letter of intent this week. We haven’t talked about it but I’m guessing she’ll seek Seat D, currently held by School Board President John Steiner, who is serving his third term and cannot run again.
One of my former co-workers was known for several catch phrases including, “Sometimes ya gotta go backward before you can go forward.” So, with your indulgence, today’s post begins with a little history (or you can read the longer version here).
If you’re among those wondering about the repercussions faced by Anchorage Fire Department Chief Mark Hall for his most recent transgressions, you likely know that the Assembly met with senior administration officials in executive session on Friday, January 7, to discuss the issue. Executive sessions are, by law, confidential, as are many other personnel-related matters so I can’t provide any information we learned. That said, I share the feelings of frustration expressed by many.
With all the heat and light (pun intended) surrounding the New Year’s Eve fireworks issue, readers may be forgiven if they haven’t heard much about the so-called “Taxpayer Protection Act,” a charter amendment introduced by Chris Birch and wholeheartedly endorsed by the Municipal Taxpayer’s League. If eight Assembly members vote yes and the Anchorage voters subsequently grant approval in April then the following language would be added to Anchorage’s charter (our local constitution):
The Assembly’s decision to lift the ban on fireworks from 9:30 pm to 1 am on New Year’s Eve generated more e-mail traffic than I’ve seen in a long time. Dozens and dozens of residents throughout Anchorage have contacted me to register complaints, like:
As mentioned previously, I’ve been awaiting a letter from the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding their review of the Port of Anchorage’s expansion project. The letter has arrived (I was cc’d), and here’s how it read:
This evening’s Assembly meeting should be mercifully brief as the only items to consider are on the consent agenda, meaning they are either relatively minor or substantive matters are only for introduction with discussion and debate scheduled to occur at a future meeting. And, after that, the Assembly essentially takes a hiatus until after the first of the year. That doesn’t mean we won’t be working, and I have a couple projects that’ll keep me busy.
So tonight’s (most likely) the night; when the Assembly puts the finishing touches on Anchorage’s 2011 budget. With all the work that’s gone into it I don’t expect it to take too long, but I’m usually wrong about those predictions because I tend forget most folks like to verbalize their final thoughts on these sorts of things more than I. (I just write instead.) That said, I expect there to be some discussion on three budget amendments prior to final passage:
Dedicated followers of municipal governance most assuredly did not watch this evening’s football game, instead employing those valuable hours cogitating on Anchorage’s 2011 budget, right? Okay, perhaps not, but if you have been following the process I have a brief update. First, however, two quick administrative matters:
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