The biggest issues at our September 28 Assembly meeting involved the Downtown Business Improvement District (DID); both the 2010 assessment for the existing DID and the continuation/expansion until 2020. (See “Downtown dust-up” for more background.) The former, as it typically does, passed unanimously while the latter passed 8-3 with dissent led by South Anchorage’s Chris Birch, and there’s an interesting story there.
Friday’s high winds in Southcentral Alaska wreaked their fair share of havoc, but the timing couldn’t have been better for CIRI‘s Fire Island Wind Project as representatives appeared at an Assembly work session this morning to tout project benefits.
Because the Assembly formally meets about once every other two weeks (plus work sessions and committee meetings) some might wonder how we spend our time outside of those gatherings. Here’s a sampler drawn from portions of my calendar:
More on the DID:
Yes, I know, it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been pretty busy, though, so here’s an update as to what’s been going on:
Next Port committee meeting:
It took a while to coordinate all the schedules but the Port committee is slated to re-convene on Thursday, October 14, at 9 am in City Hall, room 155. For a preview of the agenda see my last post on this issue.
This week’s Assembly meeting was pretty tame and ended early, but don’t expect the next two to follow the same pattern. Why? Because we’ll have public hearings on whether to renew the Downtown Improvement District (DID) on both September 14 & 28, with deliberations on the 28th. Readers will be forgiven for asking, “what’s the DID, and why is this a big deal?” so a little background might help.
Last week’s Assembly discussion on the universal identification check requirement at Brown Jug’s Tikahtnu Commons location got me thinking a bit more about how our community regulates liquor sales. To explain a bit every establishment in our community that sells alcohol, whether they’re a beverage dispensary (bars & restaurants, though there are different kinds of licenses in this category) or a package store (retail outlets that sell beer, wine & liquor), requires a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) under Anchorage Municipal Code (Title 21). This allows community councils and the Assembly to recommend neighborhood-specific practices for those businesses to follow, and to provide those recommendations to the Alcoholic Beverage Control board, where they are generally adopted.
For those unable to attend, here’s an update from most recent Port committee meeting:
Budget:
Total funds “obligated” to date are $257 million. Obligated funds mean they’ve been designated to pay for work and contracts for that work have been let but the dollars have not necessarily changed hands, some of which occurs after work is complete, inspected, etc.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to help Anchorage’s young people I have just the ticket for you! On Saturday, August 21, the Back to Work Network is conducting a back-to-school event at the Fairview Recreation Center from 10:30 am to 4 pm. They’ll distribute clothes, primarily for young women but also for young men, and even provide make-up and hairdressing services. That’s where you come in – the network is seeking contributions of new shoes and socks, and would appreciate the services of a few more hairdressers. If you’d like to lend a hand please contact Regina Manteufel at 276-4904 or regina@anch.net
Regards,
Patrick
Last week I heard through the grapevine that Greg Jones, who serves as Executive Director of the Office of Community Planning and Development, had tendered his resignation. Following our Friday work session I sought him out and confirmed the bad news – he’s on his way out.
Yesterday morning’s article in the local paper provides a pretty good synopsis of the circumstances surrounding the Campbell Creek estuary. For those unfamiliar with the issue, here’s a little background:
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